Broken Velvet
by MichelleKelly
Summary: She has been reincarnated, her soul released from the tablet. Seto discovers she doesn't know who she is, and decides to with hold her identity for his own selfish gain, but as the pieces fall into place, parts of the High Priest come through Seto Kaiba to aid Kisara. Can they stop history from repeating itself and force fates hand in retrial? Blushipping. Rating upped to M.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note; if you don't want to hear about my ramblings, skip down to the all caps that say 'START HERE'

A/N 2- Normally I don't write fanfiction- I barely even read it, and usually, I end up reading so many bad stories that I just chuck the phone across the room and go to sleep. The thing is, my mother is adamant about getting me away from 'notebook' writing, and wants me to start doing computer only novels. I'm not sure how well this would work for me given my awkward writing style and habits. However, since I'm currently writing a novel surrounding a Type IV anti-villain with a comparable personality to Kaiba I went to review old fanfiction, and decided, no, I can't fix that. (REALLY BAD ). So, this is my first YGO fanfic since 2002, I mostly dabbled in Hellsing, and Silent Hill. My activity on this site should give you an idea as to how many updates to expect, and please, for the love of your brain, do not read my old stuff, anything older than 2011 is total crap. I mean, it's a mental mind rape to read. Now, that i'm nearly done rambling, here's this. Whatever the hell this turned into. If you made it through the notes, you'll make it through the story. If you want updates, review it, let me know people are READING it. Criticism is always welcome so long as you're not a weiner about it. And Finally, I drank a beer while writing this, so I'm probably going to misspell shit and not catch it. Screw the Rules, I have beer. ( I DID do a grammar/spelling check)

START HERE

The ache in his head was dull, and persistent behind his blue eyes. Seto grumbled to himself about agreeing to pick up Mokuba from his first slumber party. As the sleek limo pulled to the curb of a row of Brownstones, the young man rubbed his eyes in discomfort and opened the door. Stepping out, he felt the burn of sunlight in his retinas and squinted, before he walked up the porch steps. Mokuba burst through the door chattering about his awesome time with his new friend. Seto mussed his mop of black hair and gestured his little brother to the waiting car, where he bounced to with a flutter of childish excitement. Slow to follow, his older sibling sighed. Mokie didn't have his backpack, he spun on his heel and came face to face with the mother of the house. She held the backpack out in her hand.

"Forgetting this?" She asked. Seto took the bag gratefully, and muttered his appreciation. Now all he had to do was get the scamp off to school, but his mind was elsewhere. The clink of a garbage lid caught his attention, and he turned towards the alley, expecting to find a raccoon stealing breakfast, but it wasn't a raccoon. Hell, it wasn't an animal at all. Caught like a deer in headlights the young disheveled woman stared at him, with wide ceruelean eyes. Seto smirked.

"There's a lot of better places to eat than the garbage," he snarked. She stared at him for a moment, her pale white hands clutched around a stale donut. She looked like she was about to cry, but finally she spoke in a small voice barely above a whisper.

"Only if you have money." He sighed. She did have a point, and he hadn't been beyond dumpster eating when he was living in the orphanage and food was scarce. Without thinking he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills and pressed them into the girls dirt stained hand. Without another word he joined his little brother in the dark limo. Mokuba was all wound up, and Seto knew, he JUST knew that someone gave him sugar for breakfast.

"Hey, Seto, why was that lady eating out of the garbage?" he asked innocently enough, but his brother's head still throbbed with pain. His thin fingers rubbed his temples, seeking relief.

"I don't think she could afford food, Mokie," he answered, hoping the questions would stop, but instead came 100 more. "How come she can't afford food? We should give her food, can we give her some food?"

"Mokuba! Please, I have a headache, and I already gave her money so she can buy food," he grunted, throwing his forearm over his eyes. Mokuba wanted to keep asking questions, but he knew how irritated Seto got when he had a head ache, so he decided to be good and quiet on the way to school, and write down his questions so he could ask after school, when his brother was in a better mood.

"Back to Kaiba Manor sir?" The driver asked, after Mokuba had raced out of the car to meet his school friends.

"No, head to the office, I have work to do," he instructed, as he laid back in the dark limo.

"I thought you had a headache, Sir?" his driver retorted. The young tycoon, clenched his teeth and took a deep breath irritated. "Just because I have a head ache, doesn't mean I don't have work to do. I don't let body aches impede my ability to do my job," he justified, and there wasn't another word from the driver. Finally left in silence, and darkness, he let his clouded mind wander, and he briefly reflected on the girl eating out of the garbage can, it seemed so out of place in such a nice neighborhood. Her hands were dirty, but her clothes hadn't been. How? He blew off the whole scene with a scoff. Who cared? He thought, but then another thought fell into his head Obviously no one- or she wouldn't be eating out of the garbage. It wasn't his job to care, so why should he? But something about it bothered him, and he couldn't put his finger on it. Something felt like deja vu, and he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he knew what it was like to be abandoned, or perhaps it was how those big blue eyes reminded him of Mokuba. Either way he had better things to focus his mind on, like the development of the new Duel Monsters Hologram system, and the business meeting he had at 2, and the Royale Underground tournament. Rubbing his eyes one last time Kaiba sat up, and his blue eyes fell to the red and yellow lunchbox on the floor next to Mokuba's seat. Heaving another unhappy sigh he alerted his driver that the lunchbox would need to be dropped off at the school before noon. Feeling snarky, Seto pulled out a pen and a napkin. Next time you forget your lunch, I'm going to eat it. Satisfied with his note, he put away his pen and returned the lunchbox to the black leather seat. He watched as Kaiba Corp loomed over the approaching limo. Gathering his briefcase he stepped out into the morning sun once more, but he didn't squint in pain. As quickly as it's onset, hie headache was gone, and he was set to spend another 14 hour work day inside the office that was slowly becoming his prison, and his 3-piece suit, a uniform.

3/23/14 A/N Well, that's not really where I expected this to go, but it got up and went. Suggestions? Who is garbage girl? Who do you want her to be? ( She won't be an OC, I promise) Will Mokuba get his lunch in time? If you made it this far, please review, or you can private message me now, apparently. M.K.


	2. Chapter 2

Garbage Girl

Chapter 2

A few days had passed since the incident at the garbage can, and Seto had let it fall from his mind as he focused himself on his work. Hours ticked by as he sat, typing into a computer, and reading code. After sunset Mokuba burst through the door.

"Seto! Can I go back to Johnny's? He invited me for a two day sleep over!" he squealed with excitement.

"Fine, I'll drop you off tomorrow night after work," he replied. He'd give Mokuba whatever he wanted, and it wasn't often that the little boy heard the word 'no'.

"Great! But don't work too late otherwise we'll miss the movie!" he warned. Seto nodded, and made note of it mentally. Worst case scenario he'd send a limo to take Mokuba. Their conversation was disturbed by a phonecall.

"Kaiba Corp, Kaiba speaking," the young man answered. He was annoyed by the phone call, just for coming through.

"Mr. Kaiba, it is Ishizu. I need you to come to the museum as soon as possible something unexpected has happened," she explained in that calm tone that defined her voice.

"I thought you could see the future, but I suppose I'll allow you to humor me. I'll see you at ten, tonight," he offered, deliberately choosing a late time to inconveince her. She agreed and hung up the phone. Seto dropped the receiver and turned to his little brother. "Go finish your homework and get to bed, it's getting late and I have to go out," he stated. Mokuba nodded and said his good nights before darting out of the room to finish his tasks, leaving the tycoon alone. With a heavy sigh Kaiba returned to his work and when the clock showed quarter to ten, he threw on his white sleeveless coat and strolled out into the night.

Five minutes late with a smug look on his face the man arrived at Domino museum. Ishizu unlocked the front door and allowed him in.

"Thank you for coming Mr. Kaiba," she greeted, locking the door behind her.

"Humor me, Ishizu, why did you bring me down here?" he interrogated. She began leading him down the hallway.

"Today several duel monsters stones were flown in from Egypt, however when we uncovered the Blue Eyes White Dragon we found the table strangely empty," she explained. Kaiba scoffed

"How does this concern me?"

"I believe that Kisara has been reincarnated, that's the only way I can explain this odd occurrence. Her Ka has been freed. Mr Kaiba, your blue Eyes White Dragon has been brought into our world," she went into further detail.

"How do you know about Kisara?" He narrowed his eyes and shoved his nimble hands into his pockets. The empty tan stone stood in front of him, laden with hieroglyphs, but the image of his iconic dragon was missing. Every other stone slab held a monster except his.

"She was mentioned by name in the tomes of the Pharaoh Seth, and was deemed his greatest protector and angel, in the form of her dragon."

"So what now? You want me to find her?" He continued to pummel her with questions that she didn't really know how to answer.

"She will find you, Kaiba, but she may not be here to stay," she warned. Kaiba smirked, a puppy died and he shifted his weight.

"Because I"m the kind of guy who recklessly falls in love. Get real Ishizu, Thanks for telling me about your empty rocks, I was bemused for a short time," he complimented condescendingly. Ishizu frowned at his ignorance and chose to drop the issue.

"Have a pleasant night," she said before she wordlessly walked him back down the hallway to the front door. She unlocked it and let him out before returning to her closing duties.

As the next day drew into night, Mokuba ran into Seto's office with an armful of sleep over supplies, his sleeping bag, pillow, clothes, snacks, movies and games all crammed into two duffel bags.

"Come on Seto, you promised" he reminded. His brother smiled, and another puppy died.

"Just a minute, I'm finishing this up and then we'll go. Which car should we take?" he asked to distract the boy while he finished his earnings report. The raven haired child sat in silence and thought for a few minutes.

"The big SUV. It's so awesome!" he shouted his decision loudly. Shutting down his computer and grabbing his white coat he checked over Mokuba's bags to make sure he had everything.

"Where's your toothbrush?" he asked curiously.

"It's in the front zipper pocket so it doesn't get gross." Kaiba checked to make sure and told Mokuba to load up and meet him at the car. The duo made their way through the large halls of Kaiba Manor to the 18 car garage that held the business mogul's toys. Climbing into the large SUV, Seto tapped the opener and buckled up.

As the vehicle lumbered down the streets, Mokuba chirped about his sleep over, his new friend and his cool dog, he talked so much that the man felt relief when he dropped him off at the brownstone house.

Finally alone, he pulled away from the curb and headed down the residential street towards the highway. There was a loud squeal in the brakes as a figure in the road caused him abruptly stop. Seto let out a chuckle when he saw who it was. He threw the car in park, and got out to talk to the paralyzed with fear figure in the road.

"Get in," he called. She just stood there, looking at him with large blue eyes. "Get in the car!" he yelled, and she scrambled forward and opened the passenger door. Settling in once more, he put the car back into drive and took off down the street.

"What is going on with you?" he asked bluntly, not really interested in her story, but in an attempt to figure out who she was.

"I...I woke up on the street a few days ago. I don't know who I am, or where I'm from. I've been eating garbage and staying in cemeteries because I don't know what to do," she muttered quietly.

"You're lucky, I don't like my brother having friends in places with a homeless problem, and I'm feeling generous, I'll give you a job at Kaiba Manor, all of our maids stay on site so you'll have a place to stay with food in exchange for work," he stated with a vacant face. Blue eyes welled with tears as the young white haired girl restrained from hugging her savior.

"Thank you...I don't know how to repay you...you've...Thank you," she stuttered out. Another smile, another dead puppy. ( I"M SORRY for all the abridged references)

"How about you stop darting out in front of my car and eating garbage," he teased harshly. The girl smiled. She didn't know her name, but he did. Seto Kaiba knew exactly who the girl was, but he didn't want her to know that. He didn't want her to know who she was.

A/N Here's another chapter of "The ygo fanfic I write when I get drunk" Only this time I was also on painkillers for a busted foot. How's that for a new chapter? I only continued this because I got reviews.

So, Reviews= New Chapters. No reviews=no new chapters.

Am I keeping everyone in character? And I'm sorry for all the abridged references, I couldn't help it, I'm drunk. Holy shit, I think this is going to turn into blueshipping.


	3. Chapter 3

Garbage Girl

Chapter 3

Author's Sober note; I woke up this morning and saw three new glorious reviews for this drunk-fic, and it made me so warm and fuzzy inside that I decided to sit down and write chapter 3 before I head off to work. Sadly, however I have run out of beer, so no more drunk misspelled chapters with abridged references. BUT! I DO have a fractured foot and with that comes the spacey painkillers! (There will be another note at the bottom) So, without further rambling, I give you THIS:

"Mr. Kaiba, she has to have a name, everyone has a name!" Judy protested as she stood in the main hall of the manor, a uniform and nametag in her hands.

"Of Course she has a name, she just has amnesia and doesn't remember what it is, give her one in the meantime," he sniped as he made his way through the bright halls.

"MR. KAIBA, that is NOT part of my job. I am not going to go around naming employees that forget their names! You give her a name!" the woman shouted. Normally Kaiba didn't tolerate such ostentatious behavior, but Judy was wise, and he respected her for her stubbornness. The man stopped in the hallway, near the front door and perused his thoughts. He knew exactly who she was, and he knew that her name held pieces of her past, pieces he didn't want her to know.

"Call her Gypsy in the meantime, seems appropriate, doesn't it?" he suggested, as his hand rested on the brass door knob of the front door.

"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves! This place is a circus," Judy relented, throwing her hands up on the air. Kaiba smirked at her outburst, and a puppy died.

"You said you wanted help Judy, don't look a gift horse in the mouth," he warned before he finally, stepped out into the bright sunshine and into the waiting limo.

The man couldn't explain why he was holding Kisara's identity from her, why he was acting so out of sorts. He wasn't the kind of man that picked up transients, even if they were reincarnations of a lover he had over 5,000 years ago. He wasn't that person, he wasn't that man, that incarnation. Seto Kaiba was his own person, but that didn't give him the reasons for his strange behavior. Luckily, no one knew what he was doing, how selfish he was being.

What Seto called "The Green Mile" was the distance between the limo and his office, during which time he was always bombarded with questions, problems, updates and later in the day business meetings. Listening to four people talking at once was never easy, so it was understandable that Kaiba locked his office door upon his arrival. A heavy sigh left his vacant face as he tossed his briefcase to the desk. His head was swimming, and he knew he had to begin the registration for the Royale Underground tournament today. He cursed himself for not starting the job the night before, and started up the Royale program. While it installed he pulled up a search engine and entered the term 'reincarnation.' The page lit up with results.___**Reincarnation **__is the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or... _He didn't want to click the link, instead, his eyes focused on those words, over, and over. It was true, even he couldn't deny it. Seto Kaiba could not deny the fact that Kisara had been reincarnated into his world. What he couldn't understand was why she was in the same form.

The business mogul didn't believe in magic, or voodoo, but even he knew that there was something supernatural at work.A chime told him his program was installed, and he was pulled away from his thoughts and thrown into a fourteen hour workload.

"What is his name?" Kisara asked as she straightened the skirt on the maid uniform. The sunlight bounced off of her pale skin, and Judy immediately tossed her sunscreen, before answering her question.

"His name is Seto Kaiba, and you will address him as Mr. Kaiba, he's fired others for less. Until you can remember your name, he's decided to call you Gypsy. I hope you remember your name soon girl, because otherwise Gypsy is going to stick," she rambled as she picked towels up off a bathroom floor and replaced them with folded, fluffy, clean ones.

"I'm alright with that. I'm just grateful...for everything," she whispered in a soft tone. Judy liked that she was a quick learner, but with her age came deafness, and Kisara was difficult to hear.

"Sweetheart you're going to have to speak louder, I'm old, or at least pick your head up so I can read your lips." Kisara looked up and smiled gently, before she turned to clean the bathroom mirror. The person in the mirror looked at her, but she could barely recognize the face as her own. She was still scrambling for pieces, and had no idea where to find them, even though they stood right in front of her.

End chapter

A/N I know this chapter is short, but I have to run to work, boo. I PROMISE there will be more kisaraxSeto interaction next chapter. Like I mentioned above, I'm seriously giddy over getting 3 reviews over night, it's truly inspiring. Thank you so much KraziReader and NecronLord. This chapter is for you guys! (even though theres no drunken fist style)

The more you review, the quicker I'll give you a chapter. (I know it's lame, but hey! It works!)

I'm beginning to worry that my novel is bleeding over into this fanfic a little. But that's ok. Screw the Rules, I have Kisara. (oh wow, that was lame.)

My Final note is that I wrote this chapter early in the day, completely sober. While I'm used to writing sober, I'm not used to writing this early, so I would like to know if this chapter differs in style from the other two. The running gag was that "I get drunk and write ygo fanfiction" well, not this time.

Much love to readers and reviewers. You guy rock.


	4. Chapter 4

Garbage Girl 4

DRUNKEN FIST STYLE!

Royale Underground had been a success, the tournament was well underway and Seto Kaiba was back to dueling and managing his company. Kisara had been one of the furthest things from his mind, until that night. It was late, and he was in his office, writing source code and checking for cheating in his tournament when the eight o'clock news came on his large LCD television. Another Duel Monster tablet had been found empty after it was shipped from Egypt to Domino. There were several theories as to what happened, but when the tablet graced the screen, the young CEO subconsciously muttered one word.

"...Mahado..." The second the word left his lips, Kaiba's face turned to shocked surprise. _It couldn't be, _he thought. _ Mahado...he was..he was a member of the court, why do I know this? I'm not that man. _He continued on in his thoughts, and there was Kisara, the one he called Gypsy, for reasons he couldn't yet identify. Seto Kaiba felt like he was being pulled in two different directions, and that someone else was trying to take him over from the inside out. Suddenly, he couldn't return to his work and was left at his desk with his own thoughts.

_The sooner Kisara knows her purpose, the sooner she has to leave this realm. _He thought. What he couldn't grasp was why he wanted her here. Why was he so concerned with having her in his life? _Because she's supposed to be mine. _The thoughts frustrated him. How could she be his if he didn't care? Or did he care and not want to admit it?

Relationships were never Kaiba's thing, relationships involved emotions and things he didn't want to deal with, the only thing he needed from a relationship was sex, and he was able to find that elsewhere, without have the emotional strings attached. To him, sex was nothing more than a physical need to be sated, something he indulged in, only when he felt the need. Lingering on the thought of sex and Kisara, a warm blush rose in his cheeks, as he began to wonder what her skin tasted like, how her lips tasted, and how...He caught himself before reasoning _there's nothing wrong with harmless fantasy._ His mind continued to drift, and his blush intensified. It wasn't often that he permitted his mind to drift like this, to linger in such a sexual manner. His eyes closed, and he leaned back in his chair indulging in the creativity of his mind.

The phone chimed repeatedly, jarring Kaiba from his fantasy. He pressed the speaker button and waited.

"Mr. Kaiba, Mai Kujaki has just qualified for the semi-finals of Royale Underground," the voice spoke through the intercom. Seto sighed at the disturbance.

"Thank you, I'll make sure to update her profile, and hold all my calls. I don't want to be disturbed until tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," the woman repeated before the connection clicked, and he pressed the speaker button again. Deciding he'd had enough for the day Kaiba pulled his briefcase from the bottom desk drawer and threw on his sleeveless white coat. His bedroom was calling his name, and he felt like he deserved to relax. On his way out he updated Mai's profile, and chose to drive the SUV back home rather than taking the limo. He needed alone time, desperately. After turning on the ignition he pulled out his cell phone and turned it off before chucking it on the passenger seat. He adjusted the radio, and decided to stick in a cd, before he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the crowded street.

There were no country roads in Domino, he was stuck in city traffic until he made his way to the suburbs where he lived. After driving around for an hour and letting his mind wander, he pulled the large vehicle in the garage and cut the engine. Grabbing his briefcase, he ignored the cell phone and opened the door to the house. It was early for Kaiba, and he wondered if the maids were still about with their duties, since he gave them such a lax schedule. The large house seemed empty, the only sounds were the tv that came from Mokuba's room, but as he approached the east wing where his room was, he could have sworn he heard shuffling about. Seto was mildly startled when he opened the door to his room, in front of the dresser was Kisara, with a duster in her hand.

"Mr. Kaiba! I didn't expect you home yet! I'm so sorry, I'll be done soon," she apologized. He closed the door and set down his briefcase.

"Don't worry, take your time," he said. She nodded and went back to her dusting. The CEO removed his white coat and threw it on a chair instead of hanging it up, deliberately creating more work for Kisara, so she would be forced to spend more time in the room with him. His suit jacket and tie followed suit.

"I see you're adjusting well," he stated before walking over to the dresser and removing his watch. Kisara began to dust the davenport by the window.

"Yes Mr. Kaiba, I don't know how to thank you for everything," she gushed. Seto put the watch on a silver tray that sat on the cherry wood dresser.

"Have you stopped eating out of dumpsters?" he teased harshly with a smirk, as he removed his rings. She giggled.

"Yes, sir." Kaiba kicked off his shoes, leaving them near the dresser.

"That's a start," he remarked, as he gazed up at the painting of the Blue Eyes White Dragon above his dresser. Kisara turned around, and suddenly her face spaced out as she focused on her boss and the painting. "What are you doing?" he asked. She stepped forward, her blue eyes wide and curious.

"That Dragon...I know it, I feel like...I...like...it's a part of me," she stuttered out. Seto Smirked.

"The Blue eyes White Dragon. She's a part of me too," he informed her, before regretting the second half of his remark.

"She..." Kisara whispered as she gazed at the oil painting dumbfounded. Soon, she caught on to her boss's remark. "A part of you?" she questioned. He sighed and rolled up the sleeve of his white button down. On his upper forearm, near his elbow was a tattoo of the same dragon that hung above the dresser. Kisara stared at the ink before her fingers grazed the surface of his inked skin. A soft blush rose in his cheeks as he felt her soft fingertips against his skin. Kaiba didn't know what to say, what to do, this was a world he knew nothing about. In her blue eyes she briefly had a vision of the Priest Seth, and it stirred an awareness in the slender woman. There was an awkward silence as her fingers lingered on his skin as he thought of how to handle the situation, but before he could react, she leaned forward on her toes and kissed him. Seto was caught off guard, he stepped back into the dresser, breaking the bond between them. Speechless and confused he stood with wide eyes, his back pressed against the dark red wood. She leaned forward and kissed him again, her hands lightly pressed against his chest. He indulged, just this once, and kissed her back before he broke away, breathless. There he was, in the middle of his bedroom with a beautiful woman pressed against him, and he didn't know how to handle it.

"Is this how you treat all your employers?" he panted, his mind spinning in circles. She ignored the question and remained in her pose.

"I feel like you're keeping something from me," she whispered, curling her fingers against his chest. Kaiba swallowed hard, sweating peaking at his brow.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied with ease. She refused to move away from him. Awkwardly he put his arm around her waist.

"You were a Priest in Egypt..." she whispered. He closed his eyes and chuckled lightly, his arm resting on the small of her back.

"Would you believe that's not the first time I've heard that?" he quipped as she stared on. Kisara looked deep into his eyes and desperately tried to figure out her origins and who she was, but all she had was shattered pieces. She looked up at him with crystal blue pain.

"Who am I?" she asked vacantly. Her hands held his shirt firmly, keeping him braced against the dresser.

"I don't know," he lied again. She dropped her head against his chest and sighed, leaving her boss in a difficult position. Again, he didn't know what else to say, or do, or how to get her off of his chest. Her small voice spoke up again.

"I think something in you holds the key, we just have to find it," she whispered. Confused the mogul looked down at her and took a deep breath.

"What do you mean?" She looked over to the bed, and back up into his deep blue eyes. He furrowed his brow.

"You're too emotional, the trysts I have don't involve emotions," he stated. Finally, she broke away, and Kaiba was grateful to have his space back. She shook her head.

"I'm not talking about emotions, If you think I love you, or am in love with you, I'm not. While I'm grateful for what you've done for me, I haven't projected those kinds of feelings onto you, because quite frankly, you're not my vision of an ideal man," she explained firmly in her gentle, smooth voice. Kaiba smirked at her words, appreciative of her honesty. So he wasn't her ideal man, at least he didn't have to worry about her trying to force him into a relationship, or her bitching about him not being around.

"So then you understand that this is purely physical?" he questioned to confirm. He didn't want any surprises. His lithe hands gripped the edge of the dresser while he waited for her response.

"For you, this is purely physical, for me it's only a physical interaction in attempt to discover my identity," she corrected, as she put her hands behind her back. Seto smiled in approval. She was smart, and he liked that, he liked that she could think on her own and was determined to discover herself at any cost. Lastly, he liked that fact that she chose to fuck him at a time that was convenient for him.

"Lock the door," he instructed. She nodded and obliged, and Kaiba's eyes lingered as she moved in the black and white uniform he selected for his maids. The black and white uniform that fell just above her pale knees and emphasized her small waist and the size of her chest. His racing mind had slowed and focused on the woman in his room. Everything else just faded away as he began to unbutton the white button down he was wearing. His pulse quickened in anticipation as he beckoned the reincarnation of his former lover towards him. Suddenly, it seemed as though she was regretting her decision as she stood frozen in the middle of the room. A pregnant silence fell on the couple and Seto repeated his words.

"Come here." Tentatively, slowly she inched forward, before she stopped in her tracks, halfway to her companion.

"I'm...just.. a little nervous," she whispered. Kaiba stepped forward a few feet, stopping short and arm length's away from his maid.

"We don't have to do this," he stated politely. Already this had become more involved and convoluted than his previous encounters. Kisara shook her head, and wiped her hands on her white apron.

"I _want _to, but...I'm just not sure how," she trailed off. Seto walked over to the bed and removed his belt, throwing it to the floor before he sat on the mattress, his bare chest visible in the yellow light.

"Stop thinking about it, and just do it," he instructed, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Kisara wrung her hands and took a deep breath before she approached the man on the bed. She stood between his knees, her fingers rested gently against his left thigh. He reached up and felt for the zipper on the back of her uniform deftly before he pulled it down, causing the garment to pool around her form. Putting his hands on her shoulders he could feel her tremble at his touch. Gently, he pulled the dress over her shoulders and let it fall to the hardwood floor. Kaiba already knew how her lips tasted, how her skin felt and how she looked. Instinctively, he pulled her naked body into his lap and allowed her to pull his shirt over his shoulders. He pulled his arms from the sleeves and tossed it to the floor before he pressed his lips to her neck, yearning to taste her skin. One hand pulled her hair over her shoulder, while the other pressed into the small of her back, holding her close. Seto twisted around and laid her on the bed.

"Mr. Kaiba," she whispered. Gently he placed his thumb over her lips to keep her from speaking while he straddled her.

"In this situation, and only this situation, you call me Seto," he panted raspily. She smiled and kissed the pad of his thumb. He stroked her cheek while she wrapped her delicate hands around his slim, lithe back. Tenderly, he nipped at her ear while his free hand fumbled with his pants.

"Seto..." she breathed as his hand ghosted over her breast and ribs, venturing further. Kaiba was ready to be done with the tedious foreplay, but his lips loitered against her ear, and his hand fondled her sex. Her nails dug into his back, leaving bright red trails as she panted his name again. Literally having her in the palm of his hand made the man grin with pleasure, and he began to toy with her arousal in a way to assert his dominance. Manifesting his dominance into cat and mouse sex games had turned the man into a great, albeit selfish lover. Tonight had been the exception, some insignificant factor had caused him to consider the pleasure of his partner. His nimble fingers teased her, bringing her to the edge of pleasure and abruptly stopping several times before he finally put and end to the foreplay and took her by surprise. Kisara screamed his name and he covered her mouth with his hand and smirked, leaning down to bite at her ear and neck. Her hands slid down his back and ghosted up the side of his chest, sending a surge of ecstasy through his body. Panting, he cursed in her ear as he became overwhelmed in pleasure. Finally, spent and sated Seto collapsed against his lover, breathing hard.

"Kisara..." he groaned raspily without thinking. The weight of his words would be heavy, behind blue eyes another vision played, and a piece of the puzzle fell into place.

A/N HOLY SHIT! I did not expect this chapter to be so long! Usually the goal is 1,000 and this chapter rings in at over 2,500, so this ought to make up for chapter 3. I drank nearly a whole bottle of wine to achieve this, and I hope it worked. I didn't want to go too in depth with the sex scene, because this story is rated T, and not M...I may be forced to change the rating in the future. DRUNKEN FIST STYLE. I think that's all I have to say this time. See you at the end of the next chapter!

Blue Shipping Confirmed.

KraziReader, this chapter's all you. I wrote it minutes after being inspired by your review.

Reviews get new chapters, no reviews, no new chapters. That's how it's going. It's inspiration.


	5. Chapter 5

Broken Velvet (formerly Garbage Girl) Chapter 5

DRUNKEN FIST STYLE

"You know my name?" she half shouted in surprise. Kaiba blinked and looked at her quizzically.

"What?" he lied convincingly. He sat up on the bed and stared at the fair haired woman.

"You just called me Kisara!" she accused, scrambling to cover her nudity. Seto feigned confusion.

"I did?" He didn't even blink as he lied straight to her face. She bit her lip and threw on his white button down, closing it to cover her form.

"You...don't remember?" He shrugged in response and she began pacing the room nervously. Already he was beginning to regret their encounter. Her emotions irritated him.

"My name is Kisara," she stated firmly. Kaiba fastened his pants and swung his long legs over the side of the bed.

"Congratulations," he mocked. She wrinkled her pale forehead and toyed with her long silken hair.

"You told it to me...You were the High Priest Seth...you have pieces of me," she muttered out slowly. The man's irritation grew as she became emotional.

"What is everyone's obsession with that? I'm not him, and he's not me. So I look like some guy who lived 5,000 years ago? That means nothing, I don't believe in the supernatural," his words faltered unconvincingly. Kisara caught onto his wavering speech.

"You do believe in the supernatural, you just don't want to admit it!" she accused. He groaned in anger and took a deep breath to calm down. He hated confrontations, he hated what this had turned into.

"I believe that you are here as a result of a supernatural event, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn around and believe the same thing about myself. It doesn't apply to me, I know who I am, and I am not supernatural, and I don't believe that it exists in my life, your life and mine are entirely separate," he explained. This was not what he wanted when he allowed her in his bed. Her eyes glossed over and welled with tears.

"Why am I here?" she asked abstractly. "Who am I?" Her voice was soft and clear like crystal. Kaiba sighed exasperated. Why did she expect the answers from him.

"I don't know. Despite what you believe, I don't hold the answers to who you are." His words crushed her. She sat on the settee and wiped her eyes. She was sure that he held more pieces of her, if only he'd help instead of denying it.

"It's just...When I kissed you... I saw Seth and I..." a pink blush rose in her ivory cheeks as she searched for words. Kisara bit her lip in thought. Kaiba decided to finish her sentence.

"Fucking?" he offered. She blushed deeper at his vulgarity but nodded in agreement.

"I thought that it meant..." she drifted off and hung her head before covering her face with her hands. Unnerved by the whole ordeal, Seto remained silent while he searched for words that would be considered rude or cruel. The last thing he wanted was to intensify the situation. "I thought it meant that you were the reincarnation of the High Priest." He clenched his jaw tightly, exposing the dimple on his left cheek.

"I am NOT that man. We are two separate people, he lived 5,000 years ago, we only look similar," he reasoned in denial. Kisara looked up at him with wide, dull eyes.

"You seem to know a lot about him. What else do you know?" she questioned. Kaiba groaned in annoyance, and got up from the bed. He walked over to the dresser and pulled a bottle of brandy and a glass from the bottom drawer.

"I don't want to talk about it," he stated darkly as he poured the liquor into a glass.

"I need to!" she shouted back. He rolled his eyes and brought the glass to his lips.

"I don't care," he replied flatly before he took a drink. With his back to his lover, he couldn't see her face contort into anger, confusion and disgust at the man's ignorance and defiance.

"Why won't you help me find out who I am?" she begged loudly. Seto wrinkled his forehead and clenched his jaw again. He spun around to argue back, but the words that fell from his mouth were not his.

"Because the sooner you know, the sooner you'll leave me," he shouted back. Immediately Kaiba's face turned to shock, his blue eyes wide and mouth agape. He couldn't fathom how those words came out, they were so far from what had been on his tongue. Dumbfounded, the slender young woman looked up at him quizzically.

"What?"

Speechless, it took several moments for the man to regain his bearings and fumble through his thoughts to create dialogue.

"That's not what I intended to say," he admitted, still wearing a stunned look on his face. Kisara blinked and sighed softly. She crossed her curvy legs as she sat on the settee.

"You didn't. The voice that said it wasn't yours...it was different...ancient," she corrected. Her eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped as another piece of the puzzle fell into place. He turned back to the dresser and set down his glass. Leaning over the same piece of furniture he put his hands down and leaned forward, hanging his head in frustration. Kaiba didn't know she was having another vision, he just knew that she was silent. "I...I loved Seth," she finally whispered. Seto picked up his drink and took a swallow, taking his time in replying to her statement.

"Yes, you did. You sacrificed your life for him," he recalled. He took another drink to calm his nerves. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Kisara wrung her hands nervously.

"I died in his arms," she murmured so quietly he barely heard her. "He went on to be the Pharaoh." A heavy sigh left the man's lips as he set down his glass once more.

"He loved you." Again came the voice that wasn't his, the one he didn't understand. Now Kaiba was stuck in a situation that made him more than uncomfortable, and he didn't know how to react to it, how to handle the issues that had arisen. It began to chew at his brain and nerve endings.

"He saved me," she added quietly. Another flash back, another puzzle piece. Her identity had been scattered into hundreds of pieces, it would take a life time to find them all, and she only hoped that this time, she'd be able to live it.

End Chapter.

A/N HOLY SHIT! 3 reviews in one night! Are you kidding? That's soooo awesome, so after some more wine, you guys get another chapter! I know it's mostly filler, but I'm not sure where I'm going to take this right now, but at this rate you guys are going to turn me into an alcoholic.

Reviewers:

NecronLord and Blueeyeswhit3: Thank you so much for your support, inspiration, and your reviews. I surely hope you continue reading and reviewing. :)

Weirdo: I really wish you hadn't read my older stuff, it's terrible angsty garbage. As for turning this into a rape fic...honestly, I don't know. I hadn't been planning it, but I am toying with the idea a little bit, so I may consider it. I've been trying to shy away from writing about rape because I've done it so many times before, but perhaps I can find some new twisted spin to put on it, which would involve a rating change. Anyway, Thanks for the review and input, we'll see where this goes.

So if you want to see this turn into some twisted horror story involving this couple let me know. I'm not sure where to take this at this point, really. I think I really need to sit down and come up with some plot bunnies to advance this story, got any? Let me know, I'd love to hear them. I have also retitled this story to something a little more appealing.

No reviews, no new chapters. Review it, and the inspiration will get a new chapter.

See you at the end of the next chapter, much love XOOXOXO


	6. Chapter 6

Broken Velvet (Formerly Garbage Girl) Chapter 6.

'

Time passed and a shred of normalcy had returned to the Kaiba household, Kisara had broken away to discover herself on her own, and the Royale Underground tournament had come to a close with Seto taking home the title of Grand Champion. The long days and nights of seclusion at his office had returned, only now there was the rare occurrence when he would come home and find Kisara waiting in his room. Unable to deny the fact that he enjoyed the convenience of having a woman in his home instead of having to turn to social gatherings, he would oblige the pale woman, even going as far as letting her spend the night in his bed. She had changed since their first encounter, becoming more withdrawn and stoic, mimicking the same vacant face that he usually wore. Kaiba was grateful that she had learned to keep emotions and feelings separate from him, but he didn't understand why she kept showing up when she did. Was she playing some sort of game with him? At this point, he didn't care. He was getting what he wanted, and as for her, he didn't care.

Seto had no idea it was going to be one of those nights as he packed up his briefcase and walked down to the limo. His mind was focused on repairing a bug in the duel disk system and upgrading to a sleeker model that he was still designing. His heels clicked against the marble hallway of his grandiose home. Fatigued and overloaded he was relieved to be home. He swung open his bedroom door, and threw the briefcase to the coffee table before he looked up. It was the third time she had shown up in his room, except this time she wasn't dressed in her uniform. Kisara was wearing a sleeveless baby blue floor length satin night gown. Immediately Seto hated it.

"Again?" he asked. The man took off his purple coat and threw it over a chair. She nodded with a blush before she stood to hang up his coat. Kaiba walked over to the dresser and removed his watch with a tired sigh, he rubbed his eyes and wondered if he had the energy for this. A light hand stroked his arm and he turned around, looking down to gaze at the woman in his room. His hand toyed with the strap. "So what's this thing?" he asked in a low, gravelly tone, his voice sore from being used all day.

"It was in a bag of clothes Maeve gave to me," she explained. He looked at it with disdain.

"Take it off," Seto ordered, before he traveled over to the closet. He pulled out a white button down, similar to the one she threw on that first night. Wordlessly, he tossed it to her and she slipped it over her shoulders. A man's dress shirt on a woman was a sign of conquered territory, a sign that she was his.

"Won't people know it's yours?" she asked timidly. He smirked and removed his black turtleneck. His torso was bathed in a soft yellow light that shadowed the definition of his athletic muscles.

"No, it's a generic white shirt, besides you'll only wear it for me," he instructed as he pulled off his belt and threw it on the floor. Obediently, she picked it up and placed it in the dresser. Kaiba kicked off his black shoes and pushed them next to the bed with his foot. Kisara sat on the bed, her long platinum white hair tied in a plait down her back. "Have you figured out who you are yet?" he asked politely. She sighed and shrugged. He sat down beside her and stroked her cheek gently, before his hand traveled to her neck, tugging the shirt away from her slender body. She didn't need to wear it now, he wanted her in nothing.

"Some of it, but-" she stopped, unable to finish her words. She didn't want to tell him, _the biggest pieces have come from you. _He decided not to ask, and instead laid her down and indulged his physical needs.

Afterward he laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. His eyes flittered as fatigue began to consume him. She laid next to him, staring at his sweat slicked form.

"Will you hold me?" she asked delicately. Kaiba scoffed.

"No," he replied simply. Kisara frowned and wrinkled her forehead. He was so stubborn and selfish. Instead she forced her way under his arm and laid her head on his chest. He was too tired to argue, or care so he sighed and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to consume him. Soon it did, but not in the way that he had expected. He didn't dream, what he saw was another vision, like so many others he had seen. She was lying there on the bed, next to Seth who leaned over her lovingly and stroked her hair while she slept. They were naked, covered only in a thin white sheet.

"Kisara," Seth whispered, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He laid beside her and pulled her into his arm. She stirred, wrapping her arm around his nude torso.

Kaiba jarred himself awake and stared down at the woman who laid against him. The sun was beginning to rise and filtered in the east windows gracefully. He sighed and blew in the woman's ear to wake her up. Her head rose as she tried to shake the early morning fog. Sitting up she yawned and looked around.

"Oh no! I shouldn't still be here!" she whined softly. Hopping out of the bed she looked around for her discarded night gown and threw it on, before she slid her arms back into the white dress shirt. Seto groaned and sat up, swinging his long sinew legs over the side of the mattress as he watched the woman scramble around the room. She ran over to him and pressed her lips to his in a quick, rough kiss before she darted out the door, leaving the business tycoon speechless and confused. Regaining his composure the man walked over to the coffee table and opened his briefcase. Pulling out his cell phone he dialed a number he had never called before.

"Mr. Kaiba, I wasn't expecting a call from you," Ishizu answered. He clenched his teeth and wandered to his closet to get dressed.

"We need to talk, where can we meet?" he didn't beat around the bush. There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

"Meet me at the museum in forty five minutes," she offered. He could hear papers being shuffled on her end, obviously she was in the middle of something.

"See you then," he responded and hung up the phone. Seto perused his closet and finally dressed in a black button down, black pants and his white sleeveless coat. Not wanting to draw attention to his random behavior he decided to drive himself and grabbed the keys to the SUV.

The roads were nearly empty, but he still managed to hit a red light in the middle of the city. The light turned green, and he pressed the accelerator. What he didn't see, was the truck barreling forward through the red light. Glass shattered and broke, metal crunched and twisted as he was hit on the drivers side, sending the vehicle spinning into traffic, and coming to rest against a light post. Bleeding, but conscious Seto Kaiba twisted his leg free from the tangle of metal and crawled through the broken window, slamming onto the concrete below. Unable to walk, the man pulled himself to safety on the grass apron adjacent to the sidewalk and collapsed. Everything went black as he lost consciousness and was thrown into the grips of another vision.

It was his dragon he saw, his blue eyes, she roared fiercely, before flying away aimlessly, then there was nothing.

A/N HOLY SHIT! I woke in the middle of the night and saw 2 new reviews and thought I was dreaming! 3 reviews overnight is badass! Thank you so much NecronLord, KraziReader and Jademy. You guys freaking rock! I'm already working on the next chapter (Drunken Fist Style) I will admit, I didn't drink much when I wrote this chapter, instead a friend gave me some Mary Jane and it's working great, I think. MARY JANE FIST STYLE. I hope to have the next chapter up within 24 hours, IF you awesome people keep on reviewing it. You have no idea how much your words inspire me.

I really want to turn this into a twisted horror story, we'll see what happens. What do you think of this story taking a violent and horrific turn?

No reviews, no new chapter, reviews inspire me and produce chapters. (and quickly too!) Keep up the awesome reviews and I'll keep pumping out chapters. You guys rock my world! See you at the end of the next chapter! Much love XOXOXO


	7. Chapter 7

Broken Velvet Chapter 7

Machines beeped in his ears, and his eyes fluttered awake. It didn't take long for Seto to discern that he was in a hospital. Vaguely he remembered chunks of what happened.

"Big Brother! You're awake!" Mokuba cried excited. He sat up with great effort and looked at his younger sibling.

"Go find a doctor, I want to go home," he instructed. The raven haired boy nodded and raced off. Kaiba sighed and sat back, his eyes scanning the room. In the corner sat Kisara, dressed in her uniform. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he checked himself over. His leg was encased by a large black boot and it hurt to breathe, his head ached.

"I was worried," she admitted in a whisper. He clenched his jaw, and threw the blankets aside. Carefully, he pulled the iv from his arm with a stinging burn.

"You're too emotional Kisara. I'm fine," he snapped as he looked for his clothes. She nodded and wrung her hands in her lap.

"I also wanted to keep Mokuba company," she added. He nodded with reasoning. Soon the doctor and Mokuba returned.

"Mr. Kaiba, I have to advise against you leaving the hospital so soon, we at least want to keep your overnight. You have a broken foot, a fractured leg and 3 busted ribs along with a concussion and a few broken fingers," he stated, clipboard in hand. The CEO groaned with irritation.

"I'll hire a nurse. I will recover better at home, now bring me the forms. This isn't up for debate." The doctor didn't see a point in arguing with a man so stubborn. He looked over to Kisara.

"It'll be up to you to keep an eye on him, regulate his medication and watch his pain level. Make sure he rests adequately as well," he instructed, mistaking the maid for his girlfriend. Kaiba didn't correct him, he allowed it to stand and proceeded to get dressed.

After signing the release papers and being escorted out in a wheelchair, Kisara helped Seto balance himself and get into the limo. He was humiliated that he had needed help, but grateful he didn't have to ask for it. Mokuba talked on and on, and his brother ignored him, his head pounding and mind spinning.

"Why did the doctor delegate me to take care of you Mr Kaiba?" she finally asked confused. Mokuba grinned and spoke up first.

"Because he thought you were Seto's girlfriend!" he claimed. Kisara blushed, but Mokuba didn't pay attention to it, instead he nudged his brother. "I think she'd make a perfect girlfriend for you big brother," he teased. The man wrinkled his brow and clenched his teeth.

"Mokie, you're still young you don't know how relationships work. I don't need or want a girlfriend, stop trying to set me up with women, like when you set me up with Mai. When you get older I'll explain it all to you, but not now. Don't pester Kisara, she's shy," he remarked, leaning his head back and staring at the velvet ceiling of the car. His accident played back in his mind, causing his breath to hitch and his brow to sweat.

"Mr. Kaiba?" Kisara asked with concern. He shook off his memory and put his head in his hands. The braces on his finger scratched his forehead.

"I'm fine, I just want to get home, to my room," he reasoned. The limo pulled into the suburbs, they were close.

"Of course, you must feel awful after this morning," she sympathized. An angry sigh left his lips as he construed her words as pity. He didn't want to argue, his head pounded too much. After pulling up outside the main doors of Kaiba Manor, Seto scrambled out and balanced on crutches. Slowly, he made his way towards his room with Kisara in tow. Finally, in the safety of his room the man dropped to the overstuffed chair and closed his eyes with relief. He kicked up his booted leg and put it on the coffee table to keep it elevated. Soon, his impromptu nurse was handing him pills and a glass of water. He took them without objection. The pale girl sat on the loveseat across from her boss and monitored his condition. On the table sat his battered briefcase that Kisara must have brought in, reaching inside he pulled out his cell phone and sent off a text to Ishizu.

_I was involved in a car accident on the way to the museum, can you meet me at my home? _He dropped the phone in his lap and waited for a reply.

_I can. I will be leaving the museum in an hour. _Her reply was curt, but formal. With the help of auto correct he sent the following:

_I will send a car for you. Be Potato _He didn't catch the error until he reread the message, and then he sent the correction _punctual_ with a heavy sigh. Kaiba tossed the phone to the table and sat back. The pills Kisara gave him were taking effect and he was beginning to feel tired. He hoped he could stay awake long enough to talk to Ishizu.

"Kisara, send a car to the museum, I'm expecting company, bring her here once she arrives," he instructed, struggling to keep his eyes open. Her response went unheard as he fell asleep. His mind lingered between dreams and consciousness, caught in limbo and unable to manifest.

Something devastating was coming, but nobody could see it because they couldn't see past the trauma at hand. Kisara had no idea there was a demon waiting to consume them both. By the time she saw it, it would be too late.

SUPER FIST STYLE!

A/N: I pounded this out right after chapter six, but I didn't want to overload everybody with 2 chapters at once! Thank you so much my faithful reviewers KraziReader and NecronLord. You guys rock so much. I'm working on chapter 8 already. I also want to point out that I'm color blind and don't know the true color of Kisara's hair, which is why I've been vague about it. I suppose I could always look it up, but I'm too lazy and involved with my little fanfic world.

Also thanks to reviewer MSTlover, You rock.

Lastly, with this chapter this story has broken 10,000 words. Out of my 50+ stories, this has become the longest, followed in close succession by **Face Your Demons ** I was planning on making this one of my class assignments, but my teacher actually read, reviewed and told me I couldn't. This means I have to write an additional 10,000 word assignment, so it may be a few days before you get chapter 9 (chapter 8 should be up within 24 hours)

No reviews, no chapters- reviews are inspiration! You know the drill!

See you at the end of the next chapter! Much love XOXOXO


	8. Chapter 8

Broken Velvet Chapter 8

He stirred between sleep and reality, his mind fatigued and weak delved into his past life. The fire burned, she roared and was engulfed in a white light. Her eyes, those crystal blue orbs of pain. Stones flew around them and Kaiba felt a cool washcloth on his forehead, pulling him back to reality. Wearily he opened his eyes, caught in a fog. Kisara stood over him.

"Mrs Ishtar has arrived," she announced softly, pressing a glass of water to his lips. Shakily he took the glass and downed most of it, relieving his dry, parched throat. Shifting to sit upright, his injured foot fell from the table and Seto winced in pain, letting out a deep growl. His companion grabbed a pillow and elevated his foot again, moving the table over to keep it stable. He took a few deep breaths and tried to make himself presentable.

"Send her in, and go occupy yourself for a while. This is private," he ordered cooly, his voice raspy and dry from the medications. He took another drink while she followed his instructions. Ishizu strode in wearing a thick tan shift, her hair was pulled back and tied loosely at her neck. She looked over at Kaiba and smiled softly.

"You've looked better Mr. Kaiba, how are you feeling?" she asked as she sat across from him. The curator couldn't take her eyes off the cuts on his face, neck and hands. He was in rough shape, but seemed to be lucid.

"I'm foggy from the medication, and pain but I'll manage. I'm sure you know why I called you," he remarked. Looking down he noticed his jacket had been removed, and assumed Kisara took it off while he was sleeping, or dreaming or whatever it was that he saw.

"You found Kisara," she stated simply with a polite nod. Her green eyes sparkled against her tan complexion.

"I found her eating out of the garbage. She had no idea who she was, and still doesn't have all of her memory back. She's obsessed with the idea that I'm the reincarnation of the High Priest Seth," he mumbled. His words were beginning to slur together, an effect of the medication and it caused him to clench his jaw in defiance. He hoped she wouldn't say anything about it.

"Because you are, Mr. Kaiba," Ishizu stated. Seto chuckled and took another drink while he thought of a witty retort.

"Of course I am, next you'll tell me Kisara and I have to save the world," he mocked making sure to enunciate and separate his words. Ishizu sighed and shook her head. She should have known how stubborn he was going to be.

"No Kaiba. Eventually you will come to believe it on your own, I'm not going to try to convince you. All I can tell you is that you are the key to unlocking Kisara's purpose. The reason she's here lies with you." He couldn't help but laugh at her words. "Once you're well you should bring her to the museum," she added, ignoring his inappropriate laughter, and deducing it as a side effect of his medicine.

"If I was the reincarnation of the High Priest, how come I'm not in love with her?" he sneered. The woman frowned and wrinkled her brow in frustration at the tyrant's ignorance.

"In my opinion, it's because a cold hearted egotistical narcissist like yourself is incapable of love," she quipped to the man's surprise. Seto smirked coldly.

"I can't love, how poignant of you. Next you'll tell me I have daddy issues," he teased coldly, before he realized, he did indeed have daddy issues thanks to Gozaburo.

"Stop mocking me, and take this seriously. Kisara and Mahado have returned and it's pertinent that they discover why they're here, or should I say potato?" she joked back, referencing his auto correct error. Kaiba sighed and scratched his arm roughly, easing the itching crawl that invaded his skin.

"Believe it or not, I have been helping, just ask her. I just want to stay as uninvolved as I can," he admitted with a slight slur. He stopped caring about his speech, it was difficult enough to just form words. Ishizu crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee.

"She should visit the museum, it holds several of the pieces of her identity, and you should tell her everything you experienced on your trip to Egypt," she suggested firmly. Kaiba finished his glass of water and put the empty glass down with a clink.

"Can't you do it? You know more about Egyptian history than anyone," he scoffed with a slur. He shifted in his seat, careful not to move his injured leg.

"This is true, but you witnessed many things first hand that I can't account for, and you have a spiritual bond with her and her dragon. It will hold a bigger impact coming from you." Seto rolled his eyes, unamused by her words. He hated talking about what happened in Egypt, it was all a big mind trip for him, like someone gave him acid when he landed, and the whole thing was some bad heat induced acid trip.

"Fuck," he muttered in exasperation. That was the last thing he wanted to do, especially after the day he'd been through.

"If you can handle your injuries you can handle this Kaiba," she assured with a gentle smile. Seto sighed, his mouth dry and parched.

"I"m not saying I can't handle it. I just don't want to," he admitted in a rough tone. Ishizu was not surprised by his selfishness.

"Of course not, heaven forbid you put the well being of another in front of your own. Kisara is caring for you, putting you first, the least you could do is return the favor even if it's just for a short time," the woman stated flatly. He did not feel like getting into an argument with her and let the remark slide.

"I'm tired, please show yourself out and send her back in," he announced dryly. Ishizu nodded and stood up. Walking to the door she couldn't help but pity Kaiba for the life he led, the solitary busy schedule that never ended.

"Get well soon Kaiba," she remarked before she left. The man sat, counting the minutes till Kisara returned. Foggy and in pain he didn't like being left alone. At least now he knew what he had to do, even if it unnerved him. His white haired companion returned and poured him another glass of water which he drank eagerly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she looked deep into his blue eyes. One hand sat on his wrist, taking his pulse.

"Foggy, tired and in pain. I want to go to bed," he answered, sounding much like a little child who had stayed up too late. Kisara smiled and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Then let's get you to bed," she concluded, before gently putting his injured leg back on the floor. Using the last of his effort he stood up and looked for his crutches. Instead Kisara threw his arm over her shoulders and helped balance him while he hobbled to the bed and sat down with a sigh. It had been more difficult than he thought, and his arms and legs felt like lead. She pulled off his shoe and sock before leaning over him and unbuttoning his shirt. Her pale cheek inches from Kaiba's face. He watched her intently as she fawned over him. Once the buttons were open, Seto shrugged the garment from his shoulders and pulled his aching arms out of the sleeves. The quiet pale girl disappeared into the bathroom before returning with a clean rag and a bowl of water. Tenderly, she washed the blood from the scabbed over cuts on his face, arm, neck and shoulders. The warm water was calming, soothing. Finally, she patted his torso dry with a fluffy towel and he laid down, more than exhausted. Sleep consumed him faster than he expected, taking him in it's grasp as soon as his head hit the pillow. Dreams and flashbacks would haunt him the entire night, the high Priest called out to Kisara, begging for help.

End Chapter

A/N: Kisara's hair is white apparently. I heard it in the dub, so I'm going to go with that. I may need a few days to brew up the next chapter...I think I have something dark and twisted planned...but we're not quite there yet.

I was going to post this chapter last night, but I ended up getting really sick at work, so I came home and went to bed. My bad


	9. Chapter 9

Broken Velvet Chapter 9

A/N Shout out to my newest reviewer and follower Guywithafedora and Nephilsai!

Also, who ever ripped off this fic, and posted it on tumblr as their own, You're an asshole, and I reported you.

REALLY? WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU PLAGARIZE A STUPID FANFIC? (672574 ignore this, it's a reference number for my records)

So, I give up, you guys have actually made me care about this story and take it seriously. So no more drunk chapters more at the bottom. Now off to the action.

Sleep was fitful for him that night. Kaiba awoke with a start and bolted up, grimacing in pain. It was still dark out, and from the shadows Kisara placed a cool wash cloth against his forehead. Instead of being grateful, the man lashed out.

"Why are you still here? I'm fine," he grunted through his teeth. She pushed him back to his pillow gently.

"You've been crying out in your sleep all night," she told him. He rolled his eyes and scoffed in disbelief. Seto never talked in his sleep or so he thought.

"I don't believe you," he sneered. She sighed and sat down on the ottoman she had placed near the bed, the same spot that she had curled up and napped on while he fretted in his sleep.

"I know you don't. That would make you vulnerable, and you're Seto Kaiba, invincible man of steel right?" she teased. Kaiba chuckled at her wit. She was beginning to grow on him, even though he'd never admit that he had taken a liking to another human being that wasn't his brother.

"Exactly, so I don't need you taking care of me." His eyes closed again and he felt himself drifting to the border of sleep and awareness.

"I don't trust it, if you die I'm out of a job and a place to live, so you'll tolerate until I'm sure you won't die," she replied in a snarky tone that made the drowsy man smile faintly. As he thought of a witty reply he crossed over into sleep and left the words unsaid. Kisara curled up on the ottoman like a cat and napped lightly, waking every now and then to check on Seto. He was sleeping soundly, dead to the world, breathing deeply. Gently, the sun began to peek through east windows, bathing the room in a soft warm light that woke the injured man. Gazing around the room he saw his maid curled up and napping, he wrinkled his brow thinking her to be uncomfortable in such a ball. Deciding not to wake her Kaiba gingerly stood up and hopped to his crutches before limping off to the bathroom to shower. He removed his boot and threw it on the counter before hopping under the hot water. It eased his pain and helped the mogul wake up. With extreme care he made it across the wet floor swathed in a blue towel. Seto selected some clothes from the closet and threw them over the couch before he sat on the arm of the couch to get dressed. Glancing over to the ottoman he gathered Kisara was still asleep.

But, she wasn't. With half lidded eyes concealed by her hair she watched her employer throw aside his towel and slip into black boxer briefs and pants. He threw a black turtleneck over his head and fluffed his hair. Socks came next, then the boot he left in the bathroom.

"Kisara? Are you awake?" he asked with a sigh. She feigned some sleep mumbles and a yawn before sitting up. "I left my boot in the bathroom," he stated, expecting her to get it. She retrieved it and knelt in front of him to put the large clunky stabilizer on his foot giving the man a clear look down the front of her shirt. Kaiba wasn't shy or discreet, and stared directly at the top of her pale white breasts. Either she didn't notice or she didn't care. Once the last velcro strap was in place she stood up with a smile.

"You're all set, now it's time for your medication and breakfast," she announced. She picked up each of the pill bottles one by one and removed the prescribed amount.

"My breakfast is coffee, eating in the morning makes me sick," he admitted as she handed him a glass of water and pills. "I don't want the pain pill, they make me foggy." She picked up the white pill and broke it in half putting half in the bottle and half in his hand.

"Half the dosage should help your pain without the fog," she muttered. The man shrugged and swallowed the pills with a gulp of water. He handed the glass back and gave her instructions on how to operate the coffee maker.

"You might as well make a cup for yourself, I gather you didn't sleep much and it's going to be a long day, it'll keep you perky," he offered generously. She made an exaggerated gesture and feigned swooning.

"Oh Mr. Kaiba! Are you actually thinking about my well being? How gracious of you!" she teased and stuck her tongue out before handing him the cup of black coffee he had asked for.

"Women whine and get cranky with fatigue, I simply don't want to deal with it," he teased back with a grin. It was at that moment he realized he wouldn't be able to carry his coffee to the office. He took a drink and passed it back to Kisara.

"Carry that for me, I'm working from the home office today," he said, grabbing his crutches and hobbling to the door and down the hall. She followed silently in close tow. After adjusting himself at his desk he dismissed her and began to work on the program he had been developing while he drank his breakfast. Kaiba found it incredibly difficult to type with three broken fingers in splints and relied on his right hand for the majority of his typing.

At lunchtime Kisara returned with a healthy meal for her boss the encourage healing. He was engrossed at his desk with a heavy blush. She set the tray down leaned over to take his temperature.

"Do you have a fever?" she asked, he pushed her hand away with a growl.

"No, I'm fine," he stated in a deep tone. She stepped back and looked at him, puzzled.

"Then why are you blushing?" she asked. He sighed and stopped his typing. This was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

"It's a side effect of one of those pills you gave me," he stated. The woman wrinkled her brown with genuine worry.

"That's not good, are you warm? Do you have pain? We may need to call the doctor," she prodded. Seto clenched his jaw, enunciating his dimple.

"No! I have a raging boner, and we're not calling a doctor because they're not going to fix it," he spat. Watching her face turn to shock was amusing, but he hated being prodded like cattle for information. Kisara blushed and stumbled over her words.

"Well, you have a hand right?" He stared her in the eye before replying.

"I don't do that anymore," he stated firmly. She bit her lip and shifted her weight awkwardly. The tables had turned and now she was the one that was uncomfortable.

"Well, are you asking me to do something?" she muttered softly. Kaiba shut his eyes and sighed at her suggestion. He was yearning to just bend her over the desk and...

"No, just...just go. Check on me in a few hours, hopefully the issue will resolve itself," he said sharply. She nodded and bounced for the door gratefully, leaving the man to his own devices. Seto picked at his lunch while he worked, consuming about half of it while he was distracted. His other issue resolved itself at some point while he was reading binary code.

As the sun began to set Kisara returned with a bowl of soup and more pills. This time she stayed to watch him eat.

"You shouldn't work much longer, you need rest in order to heal," she stated as she straightened some papers and put books back on the shelf. Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know. I'm almost done. Don't nag me, you're not my wife," he snarked, finishing his soup and returning to his computer screen. Kisara took the dish from the desk.

"Thank goodness!" she teased before she left with the dishes. She returned an hour later dressed in a tank top and plaid pajama bottoms. Seto looked at her with confusion, but dismissed it without a care.

"I'm done, I want you to go to the library and grab a few books while I change for bed," he ordered. She nodded and held open the door so he could hobble into the hall.

In his grandiose bedroom he sprawled on the loveseat, dressed in a button down and black boxer briefs, elevating his foot on the arm rest. The next few hours passed uneventfully as he delved into a book until his eyelids dropped. Marking his spot with a business card, he put the book down on the coffee table and wobbled over to bed. Kisara was already curled up on the ottoman. He huffed with frustration.

"This is ridiculous, you're a person not a cat. Get in the bed and stop sleeping on a foot stool," he commanded. She perked up and crawled into bed while he heaved his injured leg onto a pillow. His chest ached incredibly, his leg throbbed dully, and his eyelids felt heavy. Laying back he took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes. Kisara wrapped her arm around his lower abdomen and rested her cheek against his bruised bicep.

"No." he refused firmly. She bit her lip and remained in place.

"No what?" she asked in a delicate voice, pretending to be clueless. Seto clenched his jaw.

"No, to whatever you're planning. I'm not in the mood, stop touching me," he growled like a bear. She couldn't help but smile. He sounded like a frustrated little child to her.

"You were in the mood earlier," she teased, tickling his stomach. Immediately, he grabbed her hand and pushed it away.

"NOT NOW," he grunted through clenched teeth, awkwardly turning on his side to avoid her. The pale woman pouted with frustration. She wanted to call him an ass, but didn't want him exerting himself any further. She thought long and hard how to get back at him for rejecting her, but soon forgot about her revenge and cuddled against his sinew back once he had fallen asleep. He stirred lightly and rolled over, wrapping his arms around Kisara in his sleep. Her chest was pressed tightly against his, her cheek rested against his chin. Once again he began muttering.

"Kisara, I'm sorry...Let me make it up to you." She was triggered and another memory flashed before her eyes.

_He had just pulled her to safety from the bottomless pit criminals fell into. Seth held her close to him, his body shook from the gravity of what had just happened. She embraced him tightly._

_ "Kisara I'm so sorry about what happened, for what Aknadin did to you, please, please let me make it up to you," he begged sincerely, looking deep into her crystal blue eyes. She smiled warily and nodded. The high priest picked her up and carried her down the halls to his chamber. _ She had the rest of the memory. With watery eyes she looked into his peaceful, sleeping face. Another piece of her life fell into place. It was slowly coming together.

"You saved me back then, I'll save you now. We were lovers then, we will be lovers now. I will teach you how to love me Seto Kaiba," she vowed, placing a gentle kiss on his jaw.

"Kisara...I...Why didn't you tell me?" the man mumbled in his sleep. A pang of dread filled her chest. What was he talking about? She asked him several times with no response. What was it that she had kept from him?

A/N: So yeah, no more drunk chapters, and I'm starting to take this story pretty seriously. I got some goodies planned for the next chapter. I know I've been updating frequently, but I won't be updating quite as much because I'm putting more effort in, and quite frankly, it's soooo hard to pair Kaiba with someone and it's hard to gauge how Kisara would have been reincarnated so I have to tweak her character and make her a bit OOC in order to make her compatible with his personality, which is why she's a bit witty and teases him. I'm trying really hard to keep these guys in character, Kaiba is difficult- but Kisara is worse since her screen time was really limited. I always pictured her as being incredibly innocent and I feel that I've been downplaying that a bit too much, so I need to keep tweaking. In the meantime, here's a 2,000 word chapter. I'm considering having a lemon chapter in the future and upping the rating, opinions? (It wouldn't be MA graphic, but would probably be M rated)

Kaiba's ego will be his downfall.

I was a bit sleepy with this chapter, there may be some grammar and spelling errors I didnt catch.

Reviews are required for me to post the next chapter when it's finished. I've upped my ante to 2 reviews because I'm a greedy little turd. However, it's worth it to keep me motivated.

Final note: I've started another story where Kisara is Kaiba's Psychiatrist. Let me know in your review if you think I should post it.

Much love to my reviewers, followers and favoriters. You guys rock, keep it up XOXOXXO


	10. Chapter 10

Broke Velvet Chapter 10

A/N: This chapter contains character death and possible PTSD triggers. You were warned.

Kisara woke the next morning with the same feeling of dread she had fallen asleep with. Rolling over she stumbled out of bed and wandered down the hall to wake Mokuba for school. His room was empty, the bed made. Confused, she went and checked the game room, the library, even the basement and garden but the little boy was nowhere to be found. Panicking she ran back to Seto and shook him awake violently.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he spat pushing her away. Immediately he was aggravated at her brazen behavior.

"I can't find Mokuba! He's gone!" she cried. Forgetting about his injuries he jumped out of bed and fell with a pained grunt. Cursing himself he fumbled to get up.

"Get me my phone!" he demanded. Kisara grabbed the device from the dresser and handed it to him. Desperately, he called his brothers phone.

But it wasn't him that answered. The voice on the other end was gruff and deep.

"It's about time you called Kaiba, we've had your brother for hours now, you're pathetic. If you want to see him alive bring 100,000$ to Grace Park and leave it at the north end of the fountain, at 2 o'clock, or he's dead." Kaiba scoffed.

"Oh really? You think this hasn't happened before? Here's a piece of advice, return my brother and I won't murder you," he taunted back. The man growled on the other end.

"We'll see who holds what cards Seto. This will be your last mistake."

The line clicked dead, and dull shock began to over ride the man's face. Kisara stood in front of him, her hand covered her mouth, her blue eyes wide in shock. Kaiba threw the phone across the room and watched it skid against the wood floor.

"I don't negotiate with kidnappers. If I paid off every ass that kidnapped Mokuba, I'd be broke. I've done this before," he stated to re assure himself. He hobbled to his office and tracked his little brother's phone before sending the coordinates to the police with a briefing of the situation to the location pinged. After ordering Kisara to get his coat and appropriate clothes he wrote down the address and made his way towards one of his many vehicles. He started the engine and let it warm while he fluidly changed. He threw the discarded clothes onto the hood of his viper and took off, wheels screaming to where Mokuba was being held. Fearfully, Kisara white-knuckled the armrests with a petrified stare.

By the time they arrived at the address, squad cars and yellow tape littered the area. Fumbling with a crutch he stumbled out of the door and briskly limped towards the gaggle of officers. Immediately one man rushed towards him and pushed him back.

"Please, Mr Kaiba, you need to stay back," he stated firmly. Wavering and catching his balance the man wrinkled his brow.

"Why, what's going on? Where's Mokuba?" he demanded, trying to limp around the officer who kept side stepping him. Panic began to rise in his chest. There was something different about this time, something he couldn't place, that filled him with dread.

"Sir, please step back." A gurney was pushed through the warehouse door, on it laid a small black body bag. Kaiba's breath hitched and his face blanched.

"No! Where is he! Tell me now!" he yelled, prompting Kisara to jump out of the car. His mind was spinning, and his heart was pounding. Shaking with panic, and fear he fought to maintain his balance on his feet.

"I'm sorry, we arrived too late, he didn't suffer..." the words faded into a haze, his vision tunneled and the man stumbled backwards. Unable to breathe or speak Seto lost his balance before he tearfully, mercifully blacked out. His subconscious was not kind to him, immersing him into the deepest of his personal torments and failures, repeating ceaselessly. Falling endlessly into the depths of darkness a familiar voice spoke to him, embracing his dream like state. It sought to sooth the aching hole in his chest where his heart rested.

"_Pain is a test of our strength, a sign of how much we can endure. It shows us that we are alive, that we are mortal. Pain is a necessary part of life, we all experience it. It comes in many forms._

_Physical pain is the easiest to endure because it's usually fleeting and can be numbed with herbs. It's the intensity of physical pain that shows us our mortality and reveals our strength and endurance. Pain can be dull and aching, shooting, throbbing, or sharp and intense. The more pain a person endures the stronger and more resilient they become, and their outlook on life changes dramatically._

_Emotional pain is draining and one of the hardest to deal with. It chews on your nerve endings and exhausts your mind. It creates a dull kind of physical pain that's hard to escape from. The pain can drown us in sorrow and depression. This kind of pain can make us feel dead._

_Psychological pain affects our soul and our overall well being. Psychological pain often manifests in either physical or emotional pain. Psychologically we can address this path's origin. It is rare and often requires professional aide. It is a pain most people will never know and is one of the most damaging."_

A/N: I know this chapter is short, but I did that intentionally because it's pretty intense. Sorry for killing Mokuba off, but he was getting in the way of my plot. I mean come on, he got kidnapped like what? 8 times? 30? 4930958? His luck had to run out eventually. The next chapter is going to be full of feels, and angst so be prepared.

The 'voice' is a direct excerpt from my 4th book. Please don't reproduce it without my permission anywhere. I'm very proud of the profound things I came up with for that book, and I'm protective of it as well. I only used it because I found it fitting, and was having a bit of a chapter block.

'Black Rain" the story where Kisara is Kaiba's psychiatrist is slowly coming together, I'm halfway through the first chapter.

4Kids version says Mokuba is permanently in the shadow realm.

Much thanks to my reviewers! You know the rule, no reviews, no new chapter!

Guest- Romantic chapters are coming soon, I'm working towards it.

KraziReader and NecronLord, you guys rock, thank you so much for your continued support. It means a lot!

See you next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

Broken Velvet 11-

He didn't want to wake up. He didn't want to face what had happened, what he had caused, how he had failed. How could he have been so selfish and let his ego get in the way? Why didn't he take it seriously? Horrors plagued Kaiba until he came back to reality, sprawled on the couch in his room. Blinking awake several times he stared at the ceiling quietly. It was as if he had detached from himself, making him feel hollow and empty.

"You're awake, do you feel like talking?" Seto turned his head, on the wingback chair sat Kisara in a long sleeve dark blue shirt and black cotton pants. He looked at her vacantly.

"No, get out," he growled coldly. With a hurt sigh she got up and left the room. After listening to her footsteps recede the man broke to tears. After all they had been through, their parents dying, the orphanage, Gozaburo, Duelist Kingdom, Battle City... How could he move on without Mokuba by his side? How could he _live? _Life had no meaning anymore, it was as vacant as he felt. His aching chest was racked by heavy sobs, his eyes burned with pain and tears, breathing was difficult and forced. Kaiba didn't know what to do, or how to handle the death of his little brother. He'd lost people before, but Mokie was all he had left, the one person he cared about and genuinely loved. Life was pointless. His eyes ran dry and his sobs quieted, leaving the man lying in a heap on his expensive piece of furniture. Crying didn't help, anger wouldn't, nothing would. It seemed like hours passed while the man remained stoic and still with red rimmed eyes that stared at his dragon. A knock resounded through the room, but Seto didn't turn towards the door.

"What," he stated plainly. The door opened and Kisara walked in. She meandered over to the broken tycoon and looked down at him tenderly.

"You have medication to take, then I'll leave you alone again," she muttered warmly. He sat up and straightened his clothes.

"I don't want to take anything," he grumbled, while the woman sorted through the pill bottles. She sighed and shook her head.

"I know, but you need an anticoagulant and an antibiotic so you don't get a blood clot or infection," she reasoned handing him three pills and a glass of water.

"There's three pills here, what's the blue one?" he asked in a raspy tone. "Are you trying to drug me?" Kisara looked at him sheepishly.

"Your doctor came by while you were out, he wants you on valium for the time being," she admitted. Kaiba scowled and glared at her.

"I don't want to be sedated!" he barked. Kisara sighed and turned around, her face lit up with irritation.

"This isn't about what you want! This is about what your doctor wants! Now take your damn pills!" she yelled with exasperation. He stared at her with empty eyes and swallowed the pills and water. All the fight and vigor had been ripped out of him. Kaiba laid down again and closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. Kisara tossed him a blanket and headed for the door.

"Don't leave," he begged softly, making the pale girl stop in her tracks. She bit her lip and tried not to cry, she couldn't begin to imagine how he felt. Seto sat up and put his feet on the coffee table, giving the girl a place to sit. Curling up on the other end of the couch the girl rested her chin on her knees and kept her bright blue eyes low, afraid to meet his gaze.

"Do you want to talk?" she asked softly. Kaiba shook his head and dropped it into his hands with a stifled sob. He didn't want to talk, he just didn't want to be as alone as he felt. "What do you want?" she redirected gently. The man responded with shrugged shoulders, and finally brought his face out of his hands. His stare directed to the painting the hung over his dresser. He remembered his conversation with Ishizu, but with all that had happened since Kisara's place in the world had slipped his mind. He still didn't want to talk about it. There had to be a way to change things, to go back and- he crushed his thought, the only hope that had filtered through the darkness of his mind, enveloped, destroyed. Words hung on the edge of his lips, but he had to fight to put them together, to make them work and form words. She waited patiently, unsure of how to handle the traumatic situation, but determined to help in any possible way that she could, she had to show she had a purpose. With a deep breath, he finally spoke, in a low cracked voice that didn't sound like him.

"I'm lost." A blanket of silence fell on the room. Kisara bit her lip and looked at the shattered men, desperately trying not to cry.

"Do you want to be found?" she inquired delicately barely above a whisper. Kaiba closed his eyes and breathed deeply, formulating an answer.

"I don't know," he croaked back, staring at the floor with glossy, grieving eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut to avoid tears from falling down her pale face. Perking up she walked towards the door.

"I'll be right back," she assured before she left. Kaiba sat in silence pondering everything he needed to do, and plan. Overwhelmed he felt like he was drowning in a sea of darkness. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, he couldn't feel. Everything was foreign. He had forgotten how powerful grief and loss could be. He felt a blanket on his shoulders and looked to see the large fleece blanket he had given Mokuba for Christmas last year. It was fluffy and warm and smelled like him. Kisara wrapped her arms around him and he reacted by mimicking her action. They needed no words, and Kaiba wanted nothing said. He just held her, like she held him.

Seto was so overcome by his trauma that he didn't see who was picking up the pieces and putting them back together.

A/N Sorry for the short chapter, work got in the way. More feels next chapter, and plot progression and such. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Keep it up and I'll keep writing. This chapter was a bit tough, and so is the next one so they might take a bit longer.

Black Rain is up! I'm currently brainstorming the second chapter, hopefully it'll be updated by the end of the week.

Much love to my reviewers and Followers. See you at the end of the next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

Broken Velvet 12

His deck sat in front of him, separated into magic, trap, monster and fusion monsters cards. The three Blue Eyes sat side by side, next to their ultimate counterpart. Looking at his deck didn't make him feel any better. Stoically, Kaiba set aside one of his Blue Eyes White Dragon cards and shuffled his deck back together before sliding it back into his duel disk silently. His hands were shaking, the time ticked by and he knew he'd have to face Mokuba's funeral, and people, all the people he couldn't stand to be around would be swarming around him, suffocating his grief. It unnerved him in ways that he didn't want to explain or rationalize.

At the funeral home he sat in the limo, dreading walking inside. Kisara sat next to him in silence. Gently, she took his hand. He pulled away and finally limped out of the limo. The young woman bit her bottom lip and climbed out of the car elegantly. She lingered behind him, giving him space. The hallway the led to the viewing room was dark, the walls painted a wine red. Kaiba's stomach dropped as he entered the room. In the middle of the room, against a far wall was the pearl white casket that held his little brother. He shook as he limped forward on his crutches, taking deep slow breaths. _This shouldn't be happening. I'm not supposed to do this, I'm not supposed to bury my baby brother. I failed, it was my job to protect him_. His thoughts spun as he came to stand in front of the small, elegant coffin.

It was painfully obvious that the mortician had tried their best to cover the gash on his throat, but even under all their make up and artistic concealment, the evidence of his demise was still present. Tenderly Seto pulled his little brothers shirt up to cover it before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his Blue Eyes card. Protectively, he slid it into the little boy's vest pocket and kissed his cold forehead. Tears were falling but he didn't care, he didn't care about anything anymore. Cradling Mokuba's cheek he swallowed his tears.

"She'll protect you now," he choked out in a whisper, referring to the card. Forfeiting one of his most valuable cards was his biggest act of selflessness, a sacrifice that no one ever thought he'd do. Cautiously Kisara poked her head into the doorway and lingered not wanting to invade Kaiba's privacy. Disappearing from the door, she leaned against the wall next to it and uncrumpled the tissue in her hand. She had been crying since they walked in and had stuffed her pockets with kleenex pre emptively. Emotions were running high and the young woman didn't know how to help. Dabbing her crystal blue eyes again, she pushed her hair over her shoulder and took a deep breath.

The rest of the day was a tunnel visioned blur for Kaiba. People came and went, some he knew, some he didn't. They hugged him, touched him, offered sympathy and pity, but he paid attention to none of it. Why did it matter? His last memory of the day was throwing the white rose on the casket as it descended into the ground. Kisara had been by his side the entire time but he barely acknowledged her, consumed in his own world of grief, hate and despair.

Days turned into weeks, turned into months, and Seto slowly began to return to his routine, throwing himself deeper into his work to avoid facing his harsh reality. Kisara became a constant in his life, as much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to enjoy her company and look forward to the nights when she slept in his room, even if it wasn't in his bed. Eventually came the night when Kaiba sat down with her and revealed what he saw on his trip to Egypt, what happened, what he knew. He watched her desperately try to hold back tears before she sobbed uncontrollably. The puzzle was complete as far as he knew, and she didn't insinuate otherwise. They were beginning to genuinely bond albeit slowly, something the young man didn't see and was too ignorant to admit to. Their relationship had changed several times and Kisara adapted to them aptly, playing role of maid, nurse, lover, confidant, enabler, supporter and cook.

Sitting in his home office a strange and perturbing thought fell over the man, paralyzing him briefly. He didn't know how it had happened. _She acts just like a wife, without the love and emotion._ His mind began to race and he wondered if the trauma of the circumstances they shared together would factor into making them compatible. Would the bond that grew for shared pain be stronger than one from joy? Kaiba dropped his head into his hands and sighed heavily. _Is this what a relationship is supposed to be? _He wondered. His mind was cruel and contemplated if he was someone who could be loved and return it. Was what they had even a relationship? Seto didn't even know, and he didn't want to question it or jeopardize what they had. The day dragged into night and soon he limped off to his room with a book in hand, research reading was best done on his own time, so he made sure to make time for it.

His room was empty, the curtains drawn. Dropping down to the settee Kaiba turned on the lap and began reading. Hours later he faded into a sleep, the book dropping to his chest. He dreamed of Kisara and her dragon, the power she held, the compassion, her kindness and innocence. Stirring awake he looked around the room and found the woman sleeping in the chair next to the couch, curled into a ball, her knees up to her chest. Groggy and bleary eyed the man meandered to his bed and collapsed again. It had been a night of normalcy and peace, and if Kaiba knew what was coming in the morning he would have savored it a little bit longer. Normalcy and peace would be a fleeting fancy in the Kaiba household for quite some time. Chaos had been enveloping their lives and wouldn't let go without a fight.

History would keep repeating itself, destiny forcing fate's hand in retrial. Would it pan out differently this time?

A/N: I know, another short chapter, but the next one will make up for it, I promise! I'm going to need about a week to work on it though- but don't worry I'm not killing anyone else off or anything, but I'm finally putting the gears into the plot, I just needed a transition chapter so here. I know it's shitty and a bit rushed but I'm working between this, my novel, work articles and brainstorming Black Rain as well. I hate to make you guys wait, but I want to give you longer chapters, so keep reviewing, and I'll keep writing, but I'm going to try to update once or twice a week, versus every 2-3 days.

Black Rain is slowly coming together for chapter 2. Keep up the reviews and I'll keep writing. You guys rock, and I'll see you at the end of the next chapter. XOXO


	13. Chapter 13

Broken Velvet 13.

_Morning always came,_

_...It came too late,_

Sun drifted in the windows, announcing the arrival of morning. Bleary eyed, Kaiba stumbled out of bed and began to get ready for the day. Kisara had wandered back to her room, leaving him in solitude. Today was the day that he returned to the office, the first day since his car accident. He wouldn't let his mind focus on anything else, he couldn't afford to. He chose to wear black and his purple studded coat. It had been a while, and he wasn't ready to get back into suits yet. After gathering his papers, discs and flash drives he wandered out to the waiting limo and got in.

Kaiba had forgotten how brutal the Green Mile was, and locked himself into his office at his first opportunity. With a heavy sigh he threw down his briefcase and sat at his desk. Out of habit he logged into the system and performed updates, scanned for viruses and hackers before he initiated a network update. It was keeping him distracted from his thoughts and guilt.

At days end he was exhausted and eager to return home, the sun had set long ago and bags had begun to grow under his eyes. Seto locked his office and called the limo to take him home. In the driveway sat a small silver coupe that he didn't recognize. Clenching his jaw he wondered who the hell was bothering him this late at night. Stepping out of the sleek auto, he approached the car, and knocked on the window. Ishizu looked up from her lap. She gathered the papers she was going through and stepped out.

"I've been waiting for you Mr. Kaiba," she greeted. He frowned in annoyance and spun on his heel towards the house.

"And what do you want now?" he accused rudely, fumbling with the keys to the front door. Once inside he disarmed the alarm and reset it.

"I have something I need to show you, it's important," she urged. Rolling his eyes in annoyance Kaiba led the woman towards the parlor where he usually kept guests.

"More magic tricks and nonsense?" he mocked, throwing his briefcase on the brocade couch. Ishizu sat down and began to sort through the folders of papers she had with her. He sat across from her and crossed his arms in defiance. Finally, she pushed a picture towards him. It was an image taken inside a tomb. Three sarcophagi sat inside, the room lit by battery lamps and candles. At one end sat a small Abalone shell sarcophagus the size of a child, to the right was one made of black onyx, and the final coffin, on the left was white alabaster etched with inscriptions. Seto scoffed and shoved the picture back towards the patient woman.

"What is this garbage?" he spat. She frowned and took a deep breath before continuing her story.

"While on my last excursion to Egypt we discovered the tomb of the Pharaoh Seth. Normally a burial chamber contains physical things, gold antiquities and other precious items, but it didn't. The story is told in pieces, some of it eroded away by time. Seth's burial chamber contained two others. In the white coffin lies the body of his wife, whom he married posthumously due to tragic circumstances. Originally we thought the third sarcophagus held a child, but the inscription states that it is Seth's younger brother who died under mysterious circumstances that lies with them in the chamber," she explained tentatively. Kaiba's face grew ashen, and vacant. He wasn't that ignorant, he saw the parallels, the similarities and he knew, he _knew_ that Kisara's physical body laid in that catafalque. Jumping from his chair he ran into the bathroom and retched violently. With his head spinning he sat against the wall and grappled to retain his composure. Why did this keep resurfacing? Why did it keep haunting him? Seto ran cool water into his hands and splashed it on his face, before he toweled dry. Staring into the mirror he could see the growing bags under his eyes, the fatigue that was etched in his face, the insomnia and restlessness behind his blue eyes. Lazily, he wandered back to the parlor and flopped down on the sofa again.

"Do you see it, Kaiba? Do you see how time is repeating itself?" she asked cautiously. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew he had to, it all had become too blatantly obvious. There was no more denying it.

"Yes, I see it. What do you want me to do about it?" he remarked condescendingly. He really had a way with words, easily turning the most basic of things into something rude and sharp. Ishizu took a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap.

"Would you bring Kisara in, I think she should see this too," she suggested. He was willing, he wanted to get away from the whole thing, even for a short time, his skin was crawling and his mind was clouded. Then, he reasoned, that she was right, Kisara should see this, maybe something would change. He felt stagnant, and morose, desperate for something different.

"I hate to agree with you, but I do. Wait here, I'll go find her," he muttered. The curator gave him a soft smile, and watched the man anxiously leave the room. He wandered to his bedroom first, but she wasn't there, deciding to take advantage of his room he changed into black pants and a silk button down. Kicking his shoes off he slipped his feet into his black slippers and ventured towards the servants wing. Seto felt like he was drowning in a foreign world, he couldn't breathe, or react, or function properly. It took him several minutes to figure out which room he had put Kisara in, he hadn't ventured to her room since the night he brought her home. Respectfully, he knocked on her door. Sounds of shuffling about were heard before the door opened. She was dressed in a tank top and blue polka dot pajama pants, and was in the process of pulling a royal blue robe over her shoulders.

"Is everything alright Mr. Kaiba?" she asked, always formal and reverent. The man nodded and folded his arms over his chest.

"Everything is fine, Ishizu's here and she wants to talk to both of us apparently," he informed her. She smiled in relief and grabbed her slippers, and set them down in front of her before she stepped into them, balancing her hand on the door frame.

"It's a little late isn't it?" she inquired. He nodded and tapped his foot, his leg was beginning to ache, residual pain from the break.

"I just got home from the office. She was waiting in her car," he explained. The woman wandered away from the door and grabbed her keys and glasses, slipping them into the pockets of her plush robe. She pulled the door closed and asked,

"Do you want to be alone tonight?" The question caught Kaiba off guard, she never asked him that before, it had always been one of those things that he kept unsaid, and he was determined to. He shook his head and grabbed Kisara's hand, leading her down the hallway towards the parlor.

"When I want to be alone, I'll tell you," he stated. Once in the grand hall, he let go of her hand and stepped in front of her, briskly walking to the parlor. He expected Kisara to sit on the chair between him and Ishizu, but she sat next to him on the sofa.

"Good Evening Kisara, I apologize for my late intrusion," she greeted. The girl smiled back and told her not to worry. Once again the woman reiterated what she had already told Kaiba. When everyone was on the same page, the curator pulled another photo from her pile and laid it out in front of them. It was an image of the tomb wall, hieroglyphs etched into the stone. Without really looking at it the man scoffed.

"I can't read tha-" he cut himself off when he realized that the symbols appeared to him crystal clear. They were legible, and formed words he understood. _This is just like Battle city, and Ra, what is happening? _Captivated he picked up the image and studied it, reading the story while Kisara gently rested her hand on his arm.

_ Resting here, lies the beloved wife and protector of the Pharaoh, her life and innocence taken too soon. Selflessly, she laid down her life and released her spirit into the hands of Seth. Forever held in his heart, her soul twinkles in the night sky, a sign of everlasting love. _

He tossed the photo back to the table listlessly.

"That didn't tell me anything I didn't already know," he snickered. Ishizu pulled out another photo.

"This is engraved on the floor of the tomb," She stated, pushing the picture towards him. He leaned down and read it from afar.

_Time cheated us, fate damned us. A time will come when we will have another chance, we will force Fate's hand and make our own destiny. _He stared at the symbols quietly, the puzzle fell into place and he began to understand, and accept supernatural forces were at work.

"What does this mean?" Kisara asked, her hand softly stroking Kaiba's arm. Ishizu smiled softly at the bond that was forming between the two, the one that he refused to acknowledge.

"It means that Seth predicted his reincarnation, he knew time would repeat itself and left reminders so that he could change the course the second time around," she divulged. The pale woman began to tear up with understanding of the situation. Even if he wouldn't publicly acknowledge it, he knew what she said was true, he was beginning to believe that he was the reincarnation of the man. It wasn't only her words that swayed him, but everything else, the visions, the trip to Egypt, the dreams, nightmares and Kisara.

"What happens now?" her questions continued. Ishizu took a deep breath and managed a wry smile.

"It's up to you two now. I have the rest of the inscriptions from the wall and sarcophaguses. I'll leave them with you to read on your own time. I felt duty bound to inform you of this discovery, lest history further repeat itself in tragedy," she remarked. Kaiba shuffled through the photos, glancing at them and the pieces of the story that laid in his hands. He was too overwhelmed to sift through everything, and neatly stacked everything and set it in the middle of the table.

"I'll read the rest of it tomorrow, I've had a long day," he announced. His lithe fingers rubbed his forehead in frustration. He didn't know how much longer he could handle so much being piled on his shoulders.

"Allow me to show you out," Kisara chirped, bouncing up from the couch. Ishizu nodded gratefully and the women left the room, giving Seto a much needed moment of silence. Reflecting on the entirety of the situation with a stern face and a focused stared he didn't notice when the pale haired woman entered the room. She stood behind the couch and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, startling him.

"A penny for your thoughts?" she inquired. He smirked at her wit, and tapped the stack of papers and photos against his hand.

"Put on that shirt I gave you and meet me in my room," he instructed gruffly, breaking from her caress and striding off. She stood bewildered by his request before she trounced off to her room to change.

Kaiba threw the packet of information into his top dresser drawer and slammed it shut with a sigh. He pulled open the bottom drawer and grabbed the brandy bottle and glass that had taken up residence in the spot. Carelessly he poured the caramel liquor into his glass and returned the container to the drawer before nudging it closed with his foot. It burned his throat as it went down, strong and undiluted. He needed to dull the sharp edge on his mind, quickly. All this stuff swirling in his head clouded his judgment and impaired his mind.

He was tired of being alone, ever since he Mokuba died the feelings of loneliness intensified inside of him, manifesting into stress and insomnia. Seto craved normal human relationships, despite the awareness that loneliness was a constant in life. You were born alone and you died alone, but the time in between was taxing and difficult to handle alone. He was aware that there was a bond developing between him and Kisara, but he wouldn't admit it for fear of ruining what he had. In his mind everything was better left unsaid. The door opened and shut but Kaiba didn't turn around, he took another burning swallow of brandy and leaned on the heavy oak dresser.

"How do you feel?" she asked with genuine concern. The man sighed heavily and turned around to face her.

"Lonely," he confessed solemnly. His mind was so clouded he didn't immediately recognize the fact that he had just divulged one of his biggest secrets. She approached him with a gentle smile and cradled his cheeks in her hands.

"You look exhausted, Seto," she crooned. Tenderly, she stroked his cheek. He reached up and untied her robe, pushing it open with nimble hands.

"I am exhausted," he confirmed. Leaning forward she kissed his cheek where her hand had rested before she turned around and discarded her robe. His shirt fell midway down her thigh, and was buttoned up to her chest, the sleeves fell over her hands, brushing against her knuckles. Kisara sat on the bed and coaxed Kaiba towards her. He stepped out of his slippers and approached her. Reaching for his shirt, her fingers deftly slid the buttons open while he did the same. He pulled the white silk over her shoulders and buried his face in her neck. It was going to be a long night.

A/N: Ok, here's that super long chapter to make up for all the short ones, this one's especially for Jademy, who keeps on reviewing. Hope you passed your exam! I think my other reviewers gave up on me, or something. Anywho, i'm going to be a little turd and request two reviews before the next chapter update. I know, I'm a dick.

Oi, This shit is getting incredibly out of character. I think I royally fucked this one up.

So, here's some of the romantic stuff we're getting into, kind of. Expect the rating to go up in the next few chapters.

Here's the start of all the stuff I have planned. Took me long enough. Read and review, see you at the end of the next chapter.

XOXO

P.S. Black Rain will be a Co-op round robin story, FreedomGirl is working on chapter 2 right now!


	14. Chapter 14

Broken Velvet 14

Nightmares, an all too common occurrence plagued Kaiba through the night, causing him to sleep fitfully and restless. Kisara had the same problem, and fell out of bed several times before the morning. Seto's internal alarm clock woke him up not long after dawn, still tired and overwhelmed he called in a personal day and decided to stay home. It wasn't something he did too often, it was usually reserved for dueling tournaments and important appointments. He gave Roland some feigned excuse about being tired and in pain and hung up the phone. Still bleary eyed and sleepy, he pulled a pair of black denim jeans from his dresser and thumbed through his casual shirts. They were mostly t-shirts and A-line tanks, shirts he never really liked wearing. He preferred long sleeves and dark colors. Finally, he pulled out a long sleeved black v-neck shirt and slipped it on. Pulling the folder from Ishizu out of the drawer he threw it to the coffee table and shuffled over to the coffee pot. With a yawn, he filled the machine and turned it on, waiting patiently. Across the room Kisara stirred awake and rubbed her eyes, she grabbed her robe from the floor and wrapped it around her nude form. She pattered across the room barefoot towards the sacred coffee pot.

"How many times did you fall out of bed last night?" he asked as he poured the coffee into a cup and handed the pot to Kisara. She yawned lightly.

"I don't know...about four times I think," she answered, returning the coffee pot to it's place.

"So I take it, you didn't sleep well either?" he remarked, taking a drink. She shook her hand and sighed, cradling the coffee mug with the KC logo in her slender hands.

"No, I didn't. I couldn't stop thinking about what Ms. Ishtar said. It's haunting me," she whispered softly, gazing into her cup. Kaiba closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I took the day off to go through that folder she gave me," he stated, wandering over to the coffee table to sort through it. He sat on the floor and leaned against the couch. It was more comfortable than leaning over from the couch.

"I'm not sure I want to know anything else," she blurted softly. She meandered over and sat on the couch next to Seto. He began sorting photos and papers, making two neat piles. He ignored her remark and began reading the papers he had set aside.

_The Creation of the White Dragon._

_ Born from the tears of Maát in an effort to save the sinful city of So Doma, she was given to the world in human form. Her innocence a scapegoat for the transgressions of others, a savior sent to redeem the people. She grew into the fair haired virgin renowned for aiding others. Instead of caring for their savior, she was rejected, gang raped and sold into captivity. Her stolen innocence manifested itself, growing with her torture and pain into the White Dragon. The White Dragon protected the innocent and destroyed evil; and continued to gain strength as the young woman suffered through a life of rejection. Her Fate changed at the hands of the High Priest Seth, who later became Pharaoh. He showed her love, compassion and selflessness. Bestowing kindness and gratitude she sacrificed her life and her manifestation to Seth, helping save mankind. At Seth's side she protected the Realm during his reign, and at the time of his death, the White Dragon cried blue crystal tears that feel from the sky in mourning. Forever reunited with her lover in his tomb, she continues to protect him in the Spirit Realm. _

Wordlessly, the man turned the papers over and walked to the bathroom to splash cool water over his face. He was drowning in shock, realization...and something else he hadn't felt before, a foreign emotion he couldn't name. He should have known that Kisara would pick up the papers and read them, but his mind was too clouded to think of it. Turning on the water, he heard her gasp from the bedroom. Cold water filled his hands, and he threw it over his face, rubbing his skin roughly before drying off with a towel.

_...gang raped and sold into captivity._

The words stuck out in his mind. He should have known, innocence and purity had been a reoccurring theme, and he had glossed over it. He had neglected to ask why a dragon had manifested in such an innocent woman, why she held a power only those with evil in their hearts held. It felt all too real, and it stunned him- which stunned him even more. Kaiba knew he was developing a bond with Kisara, even if they didn't talk about it, he did care for her, in some way, even if it was only because he didn't want to be alone. Emerging from the bathroom, he noticed the young woman curled up on the floor, crying softly. He approached her and knelt down, violently, she pushed him away.

"I don't want to remember anymore!" she cried. Seto stepped back, he grabbed everything off the coffee table and shoved it into the folder. He tossed it back in the drawer and slammed it shut. Turning around, Kisara was no longer curled into a ball, she sat on the floor against the settee wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. The young, lithe man sat on the couch with a heavy sigh and a blank stare.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. She took several deep breaths, and hiccuped. Her pale face was red and tear streaked.

"I don't want to die again. I don't want _that _to happen again either," she choked out between hiccups. His head dropped into his hands with frustration, and another emotion he couldn't identify. He felt strange, like there was something inside of him, clawing to get out, screaming in his head to save her. It overwhelmed him, took him over and suddenly, he felt paralyzed, unable to move or speak on his own accord.

"I won't let them take you from me again," Seth announced, his spirit taking hold of Kaiba. Kisara crawled closer to him in astonishment and recognition.

"Seth, it's you," she whispered, taking his hand. He smiled at her, squeezing her delicate hand softly. Time stalled and they lingered in the moment. Seth put his free hand over his chest firmly.

"I'm in here, Kisara, I'll always be in here," he stated, unable to linger in the realm of the living. Leaning forward she quickly kissed him, desperate to have that final contact. He kissed her and pulled away, receding back inside his reincarnation. Seto's eyes rolled back in his head as he regained control.

"What's going on? What's happening to me?" he immediately demanded. He pulled his hand away from his companion, shaking visibly. She tried to put together words that described what happened.

"Seth took control of you, he's fighting to change Fate," she mumbled with a few stutters. Kaiba looked at her bewildered, his eyes belied his true emotions. He took her hand again, grasping it firmly in his.

"So am I," he stated, narrowing his eyes with determination. Kisara squeezed back and smiled. Both of them knew the battle was only beginning. There would be more to face, more to overcome. Ultimately, it would bond the two permanently, but the obstacles along the way would damage and scar them in unbelievable ways. After everything he faced, Kaiba believed he could handle it, that his smarts and affluence would give him an advantage, but he had no idea how intense it was about to become, how much his inner strength body, and mind would be stretched to the limit, and pushed beyond reason. Yet, the man worried about Kisara, she was delicate, fragile, he knew she couldn't withstand much and it would be his job to protect her, to keep her safe, alive, and untouched. Next to the death of his only brother, it would be the most difficult thing that he would ever face, but he wouldn't face it alone.

A/N: ok, I know it's another shortish chapter, but I keep getting stuck with this story, which is why I'm updating less. I would like to close this story out around 20 chapters, because this thing is becoming the bane of my existence, and I'm starting to not enjoy it as much, and I don't want to get to the point where I just kill everyone to end it. Sigh. Yes, NecronLord, I am a dick for thinking you guys gave up on me, but I'm just losing it a bit, I guess. Jademy: Congrats on your exam!

Please, please, please Message me with any ideas for the story, I really need some outside influence on this, because this story is about to get really twisted, which means the rating WILL be going up within the next 2 chapters. Just wanted to prepare you guys.

I'm going to be a turd again and request 2 reviews before posting the next chapter. Your reviews keep me going.

Black rain note: Last chapter I announced this was going to be a co-op round robin between my friend FreedomGirl and me. She is working on chapter two, and once she sends it to me, I'll add to it and post it. She may take a while with it, so I'm sorry, but that story was throwing me a hardball and she was eager to get in on it. If you would like to write a chapter of Black Rain, send me a message and we'll talk.

Keep up the love and reviews and I'll see you at the end of the next chapter. XOXXO You guys rock.


	15. Chapter 15

Broken Velvet 15

A/N: This chapter takes a really sharp dark turn, and the rating has been upped to M accordingly.

His chest heaved heavily in sleep, his eyes wandered in REM. Shadows moved and whispered, the dream shattered with a scream and his eyes snapped open, only to fade fuzzily into black again. He felt like he was drowning in mud, he could feel movement, but couldn't move himself. Seto felt dread in his dream like reality. Something was happening and he couldn't pull himself out of his paralyzed sleeping state. Then he plunged deeper into the depths of nothing, darkness engulfed him. _Falling ceaselessly into sin, yet here I linger. _The words pulled at his mind descending from a corner of his brain that he had repressed. It was a feeling unlike any other he ever had, and consumed him from the inside. Never, would he be the same, never would he return to who he was. His biggest conflict had begun. Kaiba felt his body drop onto something hard, and in his dream he hit solid darkness. As his physical body was manipulated he moved in his dream. Slowly, the man was beginning to surface into reality.

Voices penetrated the darkness, echoing around him. _Take her now. Move her to the Mason house, don't get caught either. _Seto eagerly tried to crawl to the surface, and pull himself from his demented state. _ She's quite a pretty one, I might have to 'take her' before I take her, if ya' know what I mean. _The struggling intensified, and he began to feel that same driving, overpowering sensation tearing him from the inside, It was Seth, desperate to help him regain consciousness. _Do it and you'll have a new pair of cement shoes, you know Dante has the first fuck, and with this one...he's going to want this one. Now get her out of her, before lover boy comes to, they need to be separated. He's going to the Inferno house in the morning. I've been instructed to 'break him in' _Devious laughter followed and Seto began screaming inside his dream, fiercely fighting to break free from his mind. Seth overpowered him, took control of his body, opening his eyes gave him the realization he was blindfolded, exerting his limbs told him he was tied to a chair, his arms twisted painfully behind him. Seth screamed and pulled at his ropes, twisting desperately to free himself, rubbing his skin raw and bloody as he tried to contort himself to break free.

Meanwhile Seto had become lost, he was floating in his mind, in a sea of nothing. Slowly he pulled himself together, he regained control of his mind, and his body adding to Seth's strength, but it was futile, the ropes wouldn't give, he couldn't get free. Seto screamed loudly, once again in full control of himself.

"Let me go! Do you have any idea who I am?" he yelled. His hands continued to contort as fought for freedom.

"I don't care," the man growled. Seto clenched his jaw in defiance. His blindfold was ripped off, and the man before him wore a black hood, obscuring his identity. A cigarette dangled from his fingers. He blew smoke in Kaiba's face.

"Where is she, where is Kisara?" he demanded. His captor chuckled and ashed in Seto's lap. He wandered back giving the CEO a view of the concrete walled warehouse they were in.

"She's long gone kid, you'll never see her again," he stated with a devious murmur. Kaiba's heart was racing, Sweat wrought with blood dripped down his hands as he struggled. Quickly the man stepped forward and cut out Kaiba's shirt, checking for a wire. The knife had grazed the man's chest, carmine red oozed against his pale complexion, but he remained stoic, focused on his task.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he spat at his captor. The lit end of the cigarette meet the skin beneath his clavicle bone in response.

"Don't worry about what I'm doing, you'll realize everything soon. It's my job to make sure you can handle it, otherwise we'll just kill you if you can't," the captor hissed. Seto grit his teeth in response and ignored the second cigarette burning a few inches below the first one.

"What's happening to Kisara?" Seth asked. His captor failed to notice the change in voice and kicked him in the chest for his question. Seth pulled back and Seto coughed for air.

"She's been sold into a human trafficking ring, you'll follow soon, once I'm done with you," he sneered. Kaiba paused in shock, remembering the translated script he had read the night before _'...gang raped and sold into captivity.." _The intensity of his fighting grew, and he ignored his surroundings. Soon, his head was tilted back and his mouth forced open as vodka was poured down his throat. Desperately, he spit up as much as he could, and coughed as the rest burned it's way inside. He couldn't gauge how much he had swallowed, but already he felt sick. Now he had a fog to battle through. The ropes were beginning to fray, cutting into his wrists and weakening. He watched the masked man light another cigarette and flinched slightly, wondering if it would end up on his skin. "It's somewhat amusing watching you fight, but you're one of the pretty ones, not one of the strong ones," he taunted with a raucous laugh. Pulling out a small handgun, he waved it in his hands. "Just remember, you fuck up, I use this." Kaiba grunted and twisted his bloodied hands against the rough straw. It was getting easier, but his strength was diminishing, and Seth couldn't do it alone. Setting the gun on the table the captor walked off, his attention on his mobile phone.

Every ounce of his strength went into his efforts and the rope finally snapped under pressure, uncoiling around his damaged wrists. Seto wasted no time and untied his feet. Springing to his feet with tunnel vision he grabbed the gun from the table and tackled down his attacker. He brutally slammed the man's head into the floor immobilizing him.

"Where did they take her? Tell me now or I'll blast your brain all over this fucking concrete," Kaiba hissed. The man grappled for his head and gave in.

"It's the Mason street house, 413 Mason street," he confessed. Kaiba hopped to his feet and dragged the man with him, his head bleeding profusely.

"Good, you're coming with me, if you're lying I'm killing you," he stated, dragging the man to his feet. Pushing him with the barrel of the gun he was led outside to a small truck. Seto demanded the keys, and inside the truck, tied the attackers wrists to his ankles, keeping him immobile. He sped down the road without regard for the speed limit, following the directions of the man he now held under gunpoint. He was drunk, sick and panicking, but pieces of Seth held him together enough to function. His bloody torn wrists dripped scarlet streaks all over the steering wheel and seat. The man was a disheveled mess, his shirt torn and dirty, his chest, face and hands bloody and stained. He looked erratic, irate and broken.

Parking a few houses down Kaiba pointed the gun at his kidnapper.

"Let's go, where is she?" he demanded in a coarse, deep voice. The man pulled away and tried to kick.

"Fuck that shit, you can kill me now, because if you don't Dante will if I come up there. They're in the office, third floor," he replied. Blinking with thought a few times, he decided against firing the gun and bringing attention to himself, instead he pistol whipped the guy unconsciousness. Checking the clip in the gun, he took a deep breath and collected himself. On the key ring he found a key labeled "Mason House" and selected it, turning it over in his hands like a worry stone. Time was crucial, he slipped out of the truck and casually walked up to the three story Victorian he was led to. The door swung open and he scanned for the staircase, once it was in view he darted to it, moving as fast as he could. He leaped up the steps, and as Seto reached the landing he heard Kisara scream. Running faster he drew his gun and barreled through the only door on the third floor.

It wasn't a typical office, in place of a desk sat a simple four post bed, wing back chair sat around it with bookshelves behind them. Three suited men filled the chairs, and drew their own guns, pointing them at the intruder. A fourth man, he assumed to be Dante knelt naked on the bed, Kisara underneath him. Another man, tied up and gagged knelt near the door. With his vision tunneling he focused his weapon at Dante, who grinned at him sadistically.

"Isn't this cute, trying to save your little girlfriend. Do you have any idea how many others stood where you are now in the same situation?" he taunted sickly. Kisara cried out and Dante viciously struck her across the face. Seto pulled the hammer back on the gun and heard it click. Two more clicked simultaneously, and the third, feeling under no threat holstered his.

"Let her go," he demanded firmly. His demands were met with laughter. Pulling the pale woman to her knees, Dante licked her cheek and grinned.

"I don't think so, she belongs to me now," he hissed. Now was not the time to hesitate, but his finger shook against the trigger. Two gunshots rang out and pain bloomed in the right side of Kaiba's chest. As he fell back he heard Kisara scream again, hitting the ground he fought against the searing pain and turned to his side. Carmine red seeped from the holes in his shoulder and chest, his life spilling on the ground. Desperate, he reached out and untied the hands of the man held captive near him before he rolled back, coughing up blood. He was fading in and out, when he saw a bright light and heard the roar of the White Dragon. He heard her rip the men to pieces, their dying screams and splattering blood embraced the room. Seto couldn't see it, but he could hear the talons ripping into flesh, Kisara screaming and crying. Feeling death encroaching as the blood left his body he struggled to remain in reality. Suddenly, there was pressure on his chest and a shadow above him. Focusing his fading vision he recognized the man as Mahado, and struggled to utter his name.

Then Kisara was screaming again, but not just screaming, she was screaming for him, but reality slipped through his fingers like sand. _This isn't worth dying for, _he thought.

Awaking in darkness confused the man, in front of him stood Seth. For the first time they stood in the same reality, face to face. Seto immediately took note of their differences. Seth had a thinner face, lighter hair, darker skin and his bare biceps were defined and muscular, more so than his counterpart.

"What's going on? What is this?" Kaiba asked with confusion. Calmly his past life looked at him.

" You're in limbo, at the door to Thanatos. You will linger here until you die or are revived," he replied. The CEO frowned and huffed a sigh.

"I'm not ready to die," he confessed painfully. Seth nodded in agreement and shifted his weight.

"Stay away from the light when it shines," he advised. Seto looked around the darkness that surrounded them, searching for anything else. "You have forced fate's hand and changed Destiny. Kisara is safe, show her the love and give her what I couldn't," he continued. Kaiba wrinkled his forehead at the man's words. It wasn't that easy.

"But I don't love her like you did," he stated simply. Seth was not discouraged, he stepped towards his reincarnation.

"You will learn, and I will be inside your heart to guide you," he encouraged. Slightly confused Seto decided to clarify what he had said.

"What are you exactly?" Seth smiled and removed his head dress, cradling it in his right arm.

"I am only a manifestation of the piece of Seth that was reincarnated into you. What you see is only a small piece of my spirit, the rest resides in another realm. I can manifest in times of need to aid you or Kisara, and until you met, I laid dormant inside your heart, waiting," he explained. Seto had no choice but to believe the man's words. He didn't know how long he would have to linger in this realm, but there were things he needed to know. Looking at his past self as sympathetically as he could he took a deep breath.

"What happened to your brother?" Seth was caught off guard and left breathless by the question, but understood why the man was asking.

"When I rescued Kisara and my village burned...he was slaughtered as a warning," the spirit recalled. A pregnant silence fell upon them as Kaiba searched for what to say, what to ask. Finally, he settled on a topic he needed help with.

"How do I love her?" Seth's face softened in compassion as he looked at the young man. He put his hand on the man's shoulder in reassurance.

"When it comes, it will come naturally," he answered confidently. Seto scowled at the unclear answer. He had to rephrase himself.

"I don't know how to do this," he admitted with a stutter. The Pharaoh chuckled and crossed his arms, flexing his tan biceps.

"You will, you've already started, but you've been too distracted to see it. It's not something to fret over." A strong white light opened in the room, and Kaiba felt drawn to it, but backed away cautiously. In the real world he was flat lining on the surgical table, his heart had stopped. Silence engulfed them as the man avoided the bright light of Thanatos. Soon, the light disappeared, his heart rate stabilized and the darkness around him shattered and he fell through to reality.

His head was heavy, groggy and his eye lids felt like rocks but Kaiba soon opened his eyes to the realization that he was in another hospital bed. Kisara sat next to him, bent over sleeping, with her head in his lap and her hand in his. She looked tired, broken and defeated. Gently, he stroked her bruised cheek, she didn't stir. Calmly, Seto stroked her hair as he tried to grip the situation. His chest ached horribly and he felt foggy and distant. Looking up he saw Mahado sitting across from him, observing silently. Meeting the mans gaze with understanding he took a deep breath and asked the man to recount the events that led to the moment.

A/N: This story has taken a pretty dark turn, it's a bit more of my wheelhouse now, it's a bit easier for me to grapple with this story. I worked my butt off for this chapter and it took me three days, so I'm going to be a turd and up my review ante to three. I know, I'm a dick, but I worked ridiculously hard on this chapter and had quite a tough time with it.

I am so going to get flamed for this shit.

This was a pretty intense chapter and involved a lot more fore thought and effort than I expected. I'm not sure it came off the way I wanted it to...I think I need some more details in there. I just couldn't do anymore filler. The next chapter will be pretty intense and...stuff too. Oi, I just fucked this all up didn't I.

Dante is an OC I pulled from my fourth novel for shits and giggles. In it, he was the black witch responsible for Torturing and murdering hundreds of red and white witches. I was too lazy to create a new villain.

Many many thanks to all my reviewers and followers. You guys really keep me going...NecronLord KraziReader, Jademy, .strong. Keep on reviewing, I write for you guys. XOXOX

See you at the end of the next chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

Broken Velvet 16

Unprepared, Mahado was unable to mask his shock at Kaiba's inquiry. He struggled for words while Seto struggled to retain his grasp on reality.

"I don't think that's something you want to hear just after waking up," he protested. Kaiba stopped stroking Kisara's hair and rested his hand on hers.

"I didn't ask you to think for me. I need to piece everything together, there are too many gaps," he snapped back. The olive skinned man nodded, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, unsure of where to start.

"You...you just burst in and three of Dante's men pulled their guns...only two kept theirs out. You argued with Dante and his men shot you, somehow you untied my hands and I began to put pressure on your wounds. Kisara screamed and there was this...this White Dragon, it was so large it nearly filled the room. It began to skin the men alive, its claws shredded them like paper. I've never seen anything like it, the Dragon ripped out Dante's heart and threw him threw the window and just like that it was gone. Kisara and I stayed with you until the ambulance arrived, then they took you to surgery and right now you're in Intensive Care," Mahado explained in a shaky voice. Some of the gaps were filled, but there was more, things he dreaded asking but felt he had to know.

"What happened to her before I got there?" he croaked out hoarsely. The other man bit his lip and nervously folded his hands in his lap. Kaiba sighed, he really didn't want to know but those feelings he had been having urged him too ask, to find out and help her recover.

"You walked in on it. I was brought in to the room before she was...Several of the men felt her up and touched her but Dante was the only one..." he trailed off, knowing he didn't have to finish his sentence. Desperately Seto tried to swallow the bitter lump in his throat.

"Are you alright?" he asked politely, because it was expected. Mahado feigned a small smile.

"I'm in better shape than you are right now," he remarked, trying to deflect and avoid giving a real answer. Kaiba grinned and chuckled lightly, the door clicked as it opened. The doctor walked in with a clip board and checked his charts.

"Good to see you're awake Mr. Kaiba. Now, the bullets barely missed your lungs and arteries, but you suffered severe blood loss and nearly died twice. Luckily, your girlfriend has the same blood type and we performed an emergency transfusion. You'll be here for at least the next two or three days but you have a long recovery ahead of you. It's too early to tell if there's nerve damage on your right side so we'll be checking up on that. Do you have any questions?" he belted out articulately. Kaiba shook his head. "There are detectives outside that need to speak with you," he added. Seto grit his teeth.

"I am not up for that right now, send them away," he growled. The doctor nodded, marked his charts and left the room for his next patient. Leaning back on his pillow the CEO took a deep breath and closed his eyes in thought. _You need to help Mahado. He protected the last Pharaoh, and he's been sent back to protect you" _Seth told him. Seto huffed, but reluctantly agreed with him homologous partner.

"Mahado, it might be wise for you to stay with us for a while, with me laid up like this I'm going to need help," he stated awkwardly. Since when had he become this charitable? The tan young man pushed his dark blonde hair over his shoulder and smiled graciously.

"I would be honored," he replied gratefully. Vacantly Seto stared at the woman sleeping in his lap, slowly, she began to stir. Her pale cerulean eyes fluttered open and she yawned softly. Gently, Kaiba stroked her cheek, she pulled away. Furrowing his brow he wanted to ask what the hell was wrong with her, but again Seth intervened. _Don't say it, just don't, that's a horrible thing to ask a broken woman. Ask if she's alright Seto._ Inhaling deeply he took the man's advice.

"Are you alright?" he asked flatly. Kisara forced a smile and pushed her pale hair from her face, before she felt for cuts and bruises.

"You startled me," she defended softly. Persistent in his endeavor he tried again, she nuzzled his hand softly, wrapping one hand over his and the other around his wrist. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead softly, awkwardly. Affection was foreign ground to him. She kissed his cheek lightly, hesitantly. It was the beginning of a very, very long road.

Finally, came the day that Kaiba was allowed to leave the hospital and return home. He was anxious to get back to his domain, to sneak in work on the side and be around familiar surroundings. After showing Mahado to his room the young couple walked back to Seto's bedroom. Inside held a deep feeling of hostility and suffering, serving as a catalyst to their trauma. Uncomfortable, the man grabbed his necessities and barged into the adjoining study with Kisara in tow. Throwing his clothes and books onto the desk he meandered over to the pull out sofa he bought when Mokuba went through that faze of having to sleep in the next room. Pulling the bed out he threw the pillows onto the thin mattress and grabbed one of his books. Kisara curled up on the love seat quietly. About to question her, Seto reconsidered and decided not to bring attention to her odd behavior. Grunting with pain the man lied down to read and fell asleep shortly after.

Waking at night's darkest hour before dawn in sweat soaked terror, Kaiba struggled to get out of bed. Deciding to visit the garden on the roof, he checked on Kisara, and threw a blanket over her before he wandered over to the stairs, his chest throbbing with pain. The staircase itself was a feat, and exhausted him. He was eager to sit in the courtyard and clear his thoughts. Swinging open the door he noticed he wasn't alone. Mahado sat on one of the concrete benches smoking a cigarette. Kaiba decided to sit next to him.

"Can't sleep either? It's been a rough night," the tan reincarnation remarked. Seto nodded and gazed up into the stars, trying to clear his head.

"It's all...I...I don't want to deal with all this," he admitted. The man next to him took a drag off his cigarette and exhaled smoke through his nose. He formulated his words carefully.

"I don't think any of us want to deal with this," he offered. Smoke lingered in the air, twisting into circles and wafting upwards.

"It's all fucking with my head," Kaiba scowled. He watched the other man inhale off his cigarette and blow a plume of smoke into the air.

"You're not alone," Mahado offered. The night sky sparkled like diamonds against midnight velvet. A long pause fell upon the two.

"I...I think I'm in a relationship with her...and I don't know how I'm supposed to fix her," he confessed awkwardly. Field stripping his cigarette it was shoved into the black pants the reincarnated Magician wore. He lit another and placed the pack between them.

"Talk to her. She will tell you what she needs," he offered vaguely, frustrating the business tyrant. With a heavy sigh Seto bit his lip and continued to confess.

"I'm not exactly great at communication." He took a deep breath and rubbed his chest in pain. Keeping his right arm against his chest limited his pain. Every time he moved his arm his bullet wounds strained and ached. Exhaling smoke through his nose the man ignored Kaiba's pain.

"You're going to have to learn. Be patient with her, give her time. You need time to heal as well," his voice was so firm, and confidant, but quiet. This wasn't helping clear his head, so he changed the topic.

"Why do you smoke?" Mahado exhaled and looked at his cigarette. With a heavy sigh and glossy eyes he ashed and looked into the garden.

"It's something I picked up in the brothel...they were currency, I don't want to talk about it," he answered in a whisper. Seto didn't even want to ask what a man like him was doing in a brothel or how long he'd been there. Silence engulfed them as they struggled to find the right words to say to each other, the ones that would fix what had broken.

"Will it be the same again?" Kaiba finally phrased. The smoker crushed out his cigarette and put the field stripped butt in his pocket before he dropped his head into his hands, his hair fluttering with the gentle wind.

"No, but we'll achieve an acceptable level of normalcy," he predicted. The cool breeze embraced them, offering a small relief from their painful conversation.

"When I said I liked challenges this isn't what I meant," Seto remarked. Mahado chuckled and lifted his head up again. _I never thought a relationship would become this difficult, and my first one throws me bigger challenges than I ever faced. _ The young intellect thought. He didn't know when it started, but he had begun to identify the bond with Kisara as a relationship of sorts, unable to distinguish it further. This emotional tango tested him in ways he never expected and now and avalanche of events had twisted their lives incredibly.

"Kaiba, I think you ought to rest, you're looking mighty pale. Please allow me to escort you back downstairs," Mahado kindly offered. His friend nodded and cautiously stood up, slightly dizzy and fatigued. Wavering on his feet slightly he was able to make it back to the study without assistance. "Get some rest," his protector encouraged. He nodded.

"You too." The study was quiet, dark, and Kisara still laid sprawled on the small loveseat comfortably. Sitting on the edge of the sofa bed Seto watched her sleep for a while, pondering the still spinning thoughts in his head. So much had engulfed him, and pain had eaten away pieces of his soul. Trauma chewed at his brain and worry gnawed at him. Overwhelmed he took his medication and curled up on the thin impromptu bed. Finally, sleep cradled him and gave him a brevity of bliss before launching him back into his twisted reality.

A/N: Holy shit you guys rock. Thank you so much for all the reviews. It means a lot. I pumped out this chapter as quickly as I could. It's a bit rough yet I think, but I did give it a spell check. I know you guys were anxious for it and gave me my three reviews so I had to keep up my end of the deal, which was rough because I moved in a new sofa today and cleaned out 16 bags of clothes and unused games, books and shoes from my house, and I live on the second floor. Man, it was intense. Now, who wants to do my dishes? (It sucks, my three days off are spent cleaning instead of just writing, but that's what I get for being sloppy.) Tomorrow I tackle chapter 17 and my bedroom, bathroom and kitchen and do grocery shopping. Anyway

Say hello to our newest follower, favoriter and reviewer, JokerGotAway.

Jademy: reread the first part of the last chapter- Kaiba wakes up to Kisara's scream and is drugged back to sleep.

Bigsby: I actually had been more descriptive, but it was grotesque enough to exceed an M rating and the story would have been pulled. I toned it down so it wouldn't be questionable. Sorry. Last time I killed down I disembowled him and set him on fire and was extremely graphic and one of the best points of my 4th book.

Also shout out to .Strong.

Someone sent me a message asking me to write Mahado's side of the story during his stay in the brothel. Would anyone else be interested in it?

Three reviews or no new chapter, they're so inspiring and I'm a turd. Much love to you guys, and I'll see you at the end of chapter 17- be prepared for some angst. Let me know if there's something you want to see in this story! XOXO


	17. Chapter 17

Broken Velvet 17

The gold pyramid smashed into a thousand pieces at his feet. Bending down he picked up each piece, placing them in a small gold box to rest with the Pharaoh before him. Picking up the puzzle pieces were akin to picking up the broken pieces of his heart and soul. Just because they were picked up, didn't mean they were back together. Staring at the heavy gold in his hands, Pharaoh Seth gave the box to Mana with precise instructions and watched her ride off into the valley of the kings. Waking with a jump, Kaiba scanned the surroundings of the study. The couch was empty, but the bathroom light was on. Rubbing his sleepy eyes he winced in pain. His entire chest burned and throbbed like fire. Hearing footsteps he turned his head towards the bathroom. Kisara walked towards him, laden with bandages and pills.

"You're awake...We need to change your bandages," she stated quietly. Seto nodded and unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it over the arm of the pull out sofa. He took the pill bottles from her hand and read the dosage before taking them, tossing the bottles to the desk carelessly before sitting on the edge of the bed. Gingerly, the young girl began to removed the bloody, dried bandages that stuck to his skin with coagulated blood. Tossing the dirty bandages in a plastic bag, Kisara gently washed the excess blood from his skin. Words coursed through his brain as he fumbled over the right ones to say. This was so foreign to him. Contorting in pain the young man grit his teeth as the wash cloth brushed over tender skin. Kaiba looked up at the young woman, at her vacant, sad face causing new emotions to stir inside him. Recalling his conversation with Mahado he finally settled on his words.

"How do I help you Kisara?" he asked quietly. She stopped packing his injuries and collapsed next to him, tears welling in her eyes.

"I don't know...I don't think you can," she admitted in a whisper. Cautiously Seto put his hand over hers, trying to convey reassurance. They sat in silence for a while, unsure of what to say or do, yet he continued to hold her pale hand. He felt so out of his element. Reflecting, he could see how his personality had changed since she came into his life, but it wasn't because of her, but instead the events that occurred after her arrival. Events that he didn't want to remember.

"Why didn't you sleep in the bed with me last night?" he asked, finally giving into the gnawing question. He knew the answer would be painful, if he got one, but it nagged at him without relent.

"I was afraid of having nightmares and lashing out at you...I don't want to injure you any further," she admitted, going back to dressing the bullet holes in his chest and back (exit wounds). Kaiba wondered if she was telling him the truth, or if there was a deeper reason connected to the Mason house that kept her away from him.

"You're not going to hurt me. I think I can handle your restless sleeping," he remarked with a soft grin. She lifted his arm tenderly to wrap the bandages around his chest, he winced in pain.

"You're already in pain because of me, I don't want to cause you anymore," she clarified in a shaky attempt to be assertive. Seto clenched his jaw and furrowed his brow. Roughly, he grabbed her arm and looked into her eyes, fire burning in his soul.

"Don't say that, don't ever say that or believe it. What happened was not your fault. Don't let anything convince you otherwise," he growled sternly. Kisara looked down at him with a tearful look.

"You're hurting me," she whispered. Immediately, he let go of her arm and dropped his head into his hands, while she clasped the clean bandages in place.

"That was not my intent," the man said, his version of an apology. Sitting down beside him, the young woman brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them defensively.

"I know. Seto, you almost died trying to save me, you took more damage than I did and yet you seem to be able to function normally, and I...I can't get out of this...this...fog. I feel so lost and filthy," she confessed.

"I disagree. My damage is only physical, yours...it's different and more...harmful. You're scarred in other ways, comparing the two is like comparing apples and potatoes. You have to deal with yours differently, than I do and I'm a man. I can take this," he explained his perspective. Kisara bit her lip and held back tears. She had to let it out.

"I can't handle what Dante did to me, how he...violated and defiled me. I see it when I close my eyes, when I sleep, when I dream...it's all nightmares. I can get over how they all fondled me and forced me to give Mahado 'the kiss of death' but my skin crawls and burns where he touched me...I feel so damaged and broken, and the worst part of all those men that watched, and Mahado, and you. You had to see me writhe underneath another man-" she cried, but was cut off by Seto, who had put his hands over his ears and begun to pace the study.

"Don't tell me anymore! I don't want to hear this! You're hurting me, stop!" he shouted, his firey blue eyes glossing over with tears. He turned around and wiped his eyes so she couldn't see the tears forming.

"I don't know what to do, I'm so broken," she lamented. Kaiba sat back down next to her with a deep breath. He needed help from Seth, he couldn't do this alone and had now idea how she could either.

"Neither do I, but I will help in whatever way I can. I will help fix the broken pieces because I need you. I couldn't have handled Mokuba's passing without you and you're all I have left now. Losing Mokie was devastating...it changed me, and this will change you," he admitted, fresh tears in his eyes. It still hurt to think about Mokuba, and he couldn't hold back the tears, his walls and defenses had been shattered, and raw emotions began to seep through, rollercoasting the man into emotions he locked away. Gently, Kisara wiped his tears away and kissed his wet cheeks. It was truly their first moment of intimacy since the kidnapping. Her pale hands were warm and soft against his face, her touch alone caused his heart to stir with unfamiliar feelings. Then she uttered a question that threw the young man for a twisted loop.

"Do you think we'll ever be intimate again?" Determined not to show his surprise he masked his emotions with a vacant, stoic face.

"Yes," he replied curtly with a nod. She smiled softly. Her pained eyes belied her true emotions. Pulling her hands away from his face she rested them on her knees. Desperate for a distraction Kaiba led Kisara to the rooftop garden where they were able to change the conversation and briefly forget about their horrors. When his pain increased, the harmful memories returned and Kisara sympathetically dosed out more medication, pain pills and an anti-coagulant to prevent blood clots. Remaining in the fresh air until night fall exhausted the two, but lifted their moods.

Having decided to redecorate his bedroom in order to lift the hostile feelings, Kaiba perused furniture and linens online, ordering carelessly. He didn't care what he put in the room, as long as it changed and the reminder of what happened was gone. Footsteps in the hall told him Mahado was heading to the roof to smoke. Pondering whether or not to go and talk to him, he saw Kisara move from the corner of his eye. Picking up her blanket she approached the fold out bed and laid down. Surprised, the man shut down his computer and took the last of his medication for the night before he lied down next to her. Engulfed in silence, and overwhelmed by thoughts neither of them were close to sleep, after an hour Kisara rolled over and faced Seto.

"Will you hold me?" she asked. Immediately he remembered the last time she asked, when he scoffed and told her no. He knew he couldn't do that again, he couldn't reject the only companion he had. Reflecting on the early pieces of their relationship made him realize what a rude ass he'd been.

"Yeah," he croaked out hoarsely. Cautiously, the pale haired woman snuggled up to him, avoiding his wounds carefully. Her head rested over his heart, listening to the slow, resting rhythm. Everything was changing and Kaiba didn't like it, but he knew there was no going back. This was his reality and he had to conquer it.

A/N: You guys rock! I wrote this while I read all your reviews throughout the day (Dishes didn't get done either, oops!) I know the chapter's a bit short but I'm trying to work with character progression, and Kaiba keeps coming off as seeming OOC and it bugs me. I'm going to work on that in the next chapter.

JokerGotAway: yes, you have joined my little family of reviewers. I love it when people review after each chapter, it makes me all warm and fuzzy.

Jademy: 1: I know it's a bit vague so it's easy to miss. 2&3: Thank you so very much! I update because you guys review so diligently. 4: That's 2, if I get 5 people who will read and review, I'll write it.

Devotion is strong: Thank you so much, keep up the reviews! (I didn't do my dishes either)

Keep Reviewing you guys! We're about 2/3 of the way through this story and I don't want to lose ambition before I finish it. You're keeping me motivated, after 3 reviews I'll post chapter 18 (Which I will be working on all day after doing those pesky dishes) This story will end between 25-30 chapters. I'm incredibly sore from moving the sofa in, so I'm going to take it easy and focus on writing over the next few days. Keep up the love and I'll see you at the end of the next chapter! Don't forget to message me things you want to see in this story!


	18. Chapter 18

Broken Velvet 18

Time passed and physical wounds healed, injuries turned to scars and constant pain turned into a dull throb. Soon after, Kaiba returned to work, eager to boost profits and net worth. His first day back was brutal, the Green Mile held nothing but reports and media journalist, curious for his experience with the human trafficking ring. Ignoring them only went so far, they were vicious and lurked in windows and lodged themselves in doors in an attempt to get the first word. After kicking one reporter from his office and slamming the door, Kaiba locked it and turned to Isono.

"This is ridiculous," he remarked before he shuttered the blinds. Sitting at his desk he began to sift through paperwork idly.

"Fame is infamy sir," Isono replied. The tyrant smirked and handed a folder full of papers to the man. "We continued our work with the duel disk modulator, and released the color line as you ordered, sales are up fifteen percent and stocks have risen three percent," the associate rattled off. Kaiba nodded and held out another folder, a shock of pain ran through his hand and up his shoulder causing his hand to spasm and the papers to go flying to the floor. Wordlessly, Isono picked them up and put them back in the folder before filing them.

"How many colors of duel disks do we have right now?" he asked. His associate closed the filing cabinet and approached the desk.

"Six sir, black, white, green, blue, red, and purple. We're still developing silver, gold and yellow.," he announced proudly. Seto nodded, satisfied with their progress.

"I want to run another tournament, but I won't be competing this time. We need to shift the focus off me and back to the company. We need a name for this tournament, and a prize," he interjected. Isono drifted in thought while his boss played with a pen.

"What about offering an internship at Kaiba Corp as a prize," the man offered proudly. His boss nodded in agreement.

"Determination showdown, pitting duelists against each other for a prestigious low paying job. I like how you think Isono," the man remarked, going even deeper and forming bigger plans. "All applicants will be judged by their IQ over dueling skills so the playing field is even. It won't be judged by wins or losses, but by strategy, so this will be more intense than all of our previous tournaments. I think we'll call it Tactic Rivalry," he continued to muse. His assistant welcomed and supported the idea, praising the man for his unorthodox way of thinking.

"I shall pool the duelists and set up IQ tests. When the results are in, I'll rank them and you can select the individuals for your tournament. I'll have a letter done up immediately," Isono toted proudly. Kaiba smirked as his ego inflated. He felt so at ease in his office, even with journalists waiting outside like hounds. The rest of the day was spent investigating fiscal figures, and Kaiba sent Isono to pick up the accountant who had recklessly miscalculated several expenses, costing the company thousands. Enraged the man waited for his assistant to return, he paced his office in fury. Pain shot through his shoulder and right arm, blooming into his chest and down his left leg. His body had been put through hell in the last year and was still recovering from the car accident, Mokuba's death and the shooting. It seemed like it was taking forever for his body to return to it's normal state and the man wondered if he would ever be without the residual pain that consumed him.

Returning with the scared accountant, he sat on the other side of the large oak desk, pellets of sweat on his brow.

"You know why you're here don't you?" Kaiba snapped venomously. He could see how nervous the man was, and knew that he was aware of the missing money.

"No Sir, I don't," he lied, his brown eyes begging for pity. The business mogul scoffed at the man's ignorance.

"You cost this company over eighty thousand dollars because of your foolish mistakes. You're fired, get out," Seto growled firmly, his eyes full of fire and anger.

"But Sir! I've been with this company for over thirty years!" he begged. Kaiba looked at the man dully, devoid of expression and feelings.

"I don't care. Get out," he repeated. Left speechless Isono led the accountant out of the room and ordered security to take care of it. He was finally beginning to feel like he had control over his life, like that normalcy Mahado spoke of was starting to show. He ruled Kaiba Corp like a King, and controlled every aspect of the company, while expanding them. It was a need he had to feed, an urge that he had to fulfill, control was one of the few things that made him feel like a man, and after the recent events he felt like it had been stripped away from him.

At day's end the man was reluctant to go home and turned down the limo, opting to drive himself and feel the control of driving. Hopping into the small sedan in the garage, he adjusted the stereo, the heat and opened the windows before pulling out into the street. Seto drove around for an hour, relishing the feelings of driving. When he pulled into the garage he sighed and parked. Once inside the house he armed the alarm and stalked off to the bedroom for a shower.

The only thing that still remained in the room was the painting of the White Dragon, everything else was new. He had chosen black, silver and purple as new colors, and traded in his queen size bed, for a king with a simple headboard. The lighting had been dimmed to take attention off the scars he held and help mask his emotions when needed. Kisara was curled up asleep on the end of the bed in a white afghan. She seemed peaceful and Kaiba wondered if she was in a nightmare or a dream before he meandered into the bathroom and undressed. His clothes were thrown in a heap on the floor while he warmed the shower. Hot water eased his pain and loosened the tension in his muscles, helping him relax before he journeyed into the night.

Cutting the water he grabbed a towel and swathed it around his narrow hips before he stepped out. Wiping the fog from the mirror gave the man a view of the scars he now held. The bullet holes, cigarette burns and scar from the knife were new, but the ones on his side, his back and his arm were the marks of Gozaburo's training. The scar on his forearm was the reason he wore long sleeves, and the reason he had the White Dragon tattooed near it, to divert attention, but that's all his mind was focusing on. His body had been through hell, and his mind too, but he didn't want to focus on that or the marks that were left behind. His skin held the details of his journey, pieces of his story. Briefly, he wondered if Seth had scars like his. Clenching his jaw in frustration he stalked toward the closet and dressed in a button down and black pants. He scrubbed his head with a towel and straightened his hair before he slipped on a pair of slippers. Kisara still slept peacefully, breathing deep and evenly. Seto watched her for a few moments before he walked over to the dresser and fumbled around in the top drawer, searching for a camera. Suddenly, Mahado burst in.

"Kaiba! Three people just jumped the fence," he stated firmly, but not loudly enough to wake the sleeping woman. Pulling his handgun from another drawer and grabbing his keys he locked the bedroom door and ran with the magician to the front door. Outside, they saw the three people approach the house. Seto cocked his gun.

"Who the hell are you? Get off my property now or I'll shoot!" he screamed. The figures stopped.

"Mr Kaiba, I'm from the local news-" he didn't wait for her to finish speaking, and fired a warning shot into the grass.

"Get off my property now! I don't care who the hell you are, Get out!" he yelled. The three journalist scrambled for the fence and hurried over the way they came. With the threat gone Kaiba took a deep breath and felt his heart rate slow.

"What the everloving fuck?" Mahado remarked, lighting up a cigarette. With a heavy sigh, the tycoon lowered his gun.

"People are disgusting," he spat, storming towards the garden. The mage followed.

"How do you deal with the media?" he asked, curious as to he dealt with such ostentatious actions.

"I usually ignore them, but this time I've filed court orders against most. Obviously a few slipped through the cracks. I'll remedy it in the morning," he said flippantly. Impressed the magician nodded and blew out a plume of smoke.

"How is Kisara?" he followed up. Seto's face twisted into frustration. Why did this always come up?

"Nothing's changed. She was sleeping when I got home." Mahado nodded with a quizzical look. And inquired on his frustration. "I feel like we're stuck, and she's different now. I'm not sure if I like it. I want...I want the old, witty confident Kisara back and I am tired of waiting," he divulged. His companion crushed out his cigarette and field stripped it.

"She's making progress, don't push her quite yet," the man reassured. Kaiba did his best to not roll his eyes at his vague words.

"I don't think she'll ever be the same," he blurted out. Mahado patted him on the back as a friendly gesture.

"To be fair, neither will you." His words were cryptic, but very true. He had changed in several ways, some he could identify, some he couldn't. Then he recalled Kisara telling him he wasn't her ideal man and wondered if somehow, that had changed as he had. Too many thoughts floated in his head, ones he didn't want to share. Seto looked up at his friend.

"You have a point Mahado. I need some time to myself," he stated curtly, walking off without saying another word. Mahado was used to it, he knew that Kaiba could be socially...different, and the he could sometimes be short or cold with people. Watching his reincarnated priest walk away he lit another cigarette and paced around the manor, before climbing the trellis and accessing the roof garden.

Seto wandered the empty halls of his home, drowning in thoughts before he walked out onto the balcony in the main hall. He couldn't go back to his room with what was on his mind. Physical needs gnawed at him, yearning to be indulged and all he could think about was burying his face in her neck and pinning her underneath him. Aching to have his lover back he distracted his mind by staring off into the night sky. It was one rollercoaster after another and he wasn't sure how much more he could take before he went mad.

A/N: I'm working on Mahado's side of this story, It will be called Anger and Satin. It will take priority once this is finished. Thank you all for your reviews. They absolutely warmed my heart, keep it up. I hope to have the next chapter up by the weekend, expect some M-rated romance in the next chapter. Once again the 3 review rule stands. Shout out to Jademy-have fun with your essays, DevotionisStrong,-Thank you- and JokerGotaway- Thank you.

I'm trying to get Kaiba back into character. I was doing alright until the last few chapters. Hope this uploads, we're having wicked storms out here right now.

See you at the end of the next chapter. XOXOXO


	19. Chapter 19

Broken Velvet 19

Seto Kaiba sat in his office, explaining the newest tournament to Mahado. Kisara had been left to wander around the building and interact with employees. Dressing in a suit amplified the Magician's appearance and caused several heads to turn as he walked the Green Mile with Kaiba. His long, caramel colored hair fell over his shoulders softly, intensified by the black suit jacket he wore. Paying close attention to what the reincarnation of his Priest said, he also tried to take in his surroundings and familiarize himself with the layout of the building. Mahado was cautious and observant, slightly paranoid since his stay at Mason house. As they conversed Kisara walked in holding a few rolled up magazines with a dead pan face. She bit her lip as she looked for words, but decided the throw the magazines on the desk. The headlines caught his attention immediately. _Kaiba Corp. president paranoid after brush with human trafficking ring. _Seto grinned as he picked up the paper to read the headline underneath it. _Seto Kaiba begins homosexual relationship with man rescued from brothel. _Bursting out in raucous laughter he tossed the magazine to Mahado who begun laughing as well.

"You're not upset?" Kisara asked after they had calmed down. The magician began to thumb through the magazine.

"No. This is hilarious, you know it's all lies to sell more. I don't care what they think or what libel slander they have to say," Kaiba retorted. "Besides it's nothing horrible. It's not like they said I'm killing children. If they want to think I'm gay leave them in their ignorance."

"These photos do not capture my good side," Mahado joked. Kisara smiled and Seto immediately knew it was the first time she gave an authentic smile since her rape. "They did some nice photoshop though, oh look, we're holding hands. Let's frame this," he continued to tease. The pale woman giggled and Seto awkwardly tried to keep our mood up.

"We're a beautiful couple. When should we start having babies? Or should we adopt? We don't want you losing your figure," he added and was rewarded with another giggle and a chuckle.

"Why am I the one getting pregnant?" he huffed back. Kisara decided to get in on the jokes.

"Because you're the girly looking one." Mahado crossed his arms and smiled. Kaiba kicked his feet up onto the desk and watched how Kisara interacted with him, observing and making mental notes.

"Maybe I should get a hair cut, but then I wouldn't have women following me everywhere. I kind of like that though," he remarked.

"Don't worry about that, half of them now think you're gay," the young woman teased with a giggle. Her companion couldn't help but smirk from his seat at the desk.

"Some of them might try to fix that. I still have options," he reasoned. He pushed his hair off his shoulder and dropped the magazine to the desk.

"You're such a womanizer," Kaiba concluded. The other man nodded in agreement with the statement.

"A little bit. I won't deny that." Kisara rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"They follow you, but you never DO anything, you don't get their number or date them, you just like them flocking around you, but you don't really want them," the young woman stated insight fully. Unintentionally she had struck a chord, Mahado tried to mask his emotions but both people saw the fleeting look of fear. Silence fell into the room and no one knew how to handle what had been said. Mumbling an apology Kisara left the room. Seto sighed and pulled out a notepad and paper. He had to change the subject.

"Mahado I think you should go talk to the curator at the museum, her name is Ishizu Ishtar. I think she may have answers for you," he diverted the topic, writing down the address. "Take the limo, I'll drive Kisara home, work day is over anyway," he added. The man took the paper from the his hand and read it before folding it and putting it in the pocket of his jacket.

"I shall see her immediately. I'll fill you in on it later," he remarked, spinning on his heel. Calmly Kaiba collected his briefcase and shoved it full of papers to work on at home. He had to do something other than wait for Kisara, he needed a distraction, something to keep his mind off the sinful thoughts that had been clouding his mind. He found the young woman wandering in research and development and led her out to the garage, where the small sedan he drove occasionally was parked. The silence was deafening and pierced the man's mind. He had lost control of the entire situation and had begun to resent it. Unable to address his needs because of his pride he suffered in silence. Then he got behind the wheel, and felt an amiable amount of control return, soothing him. He had to kill the silence.

"Are you afraid to be alone with me?" he prodded, his voice edged with annoyance. Kisara shook he head and folded her hands.

"No. I just don't want you to be mad at me anymore," she whispered softly. Furrowing his forehead in confusion he decided to clarify his thoughts.

"I'm not mad at you Kisara," he stated firmly. She sighed and crossed her ankles nervously and tried to rephrase herself.

"I know that you're frustrated because we haven't been together in so long, and I want to, I do...I'm just scared," she admitted, her eyes cast downward unable to meet his gaze. The man huffed a sigh.

"What are you afraid of?" he inquired wanting to know the barricade that had been holding her back.

"I'm...I'm afraid that I might get overwhelmed and want to stop and you won't," he confessed so quietly he could barely hear her above the roar of the engine. Seto was genuinely hurt by her words, by what she was implying.

"I'm not an animal. I know how to control myself," he snapped in defense. Kisara bit her lip and crossed her arms over her chest. All her words were coming out wrong.

"I'm sorry." The car pulled into the garage and the door closed. He cut the engine and turned to her.

"You have nothing to apologize for, even the most ignorant words hold truth," he offered like a painful antiseptic for a scraped knee. His words weren't lost on her and she sat pondering while he got out of the car. Scrambling to keep up she got out and closed the door, bouncing to close the distance between them.

Throwing his briefcase onto the coffee table he removed his coat and tossed it over a chair before sitting down and opening the work he brought with him. Throwing himself into the earnings reports and financial documents distracted him from his thoughts and the beautiful woman in his room. Seto startled when she put her arms over his shoulders and ran her hands over his chest. He scowled.

"Don't touch me like this unless you're prepared to see it through," he snapped. She rested her chin on his head and embraced him.

"I meant what I said in the car. I want to...I want to get back to normal," she whispered in his ear. He put his hand over hers and sat in thought. He didn't know if he could handle getting turned away half way through the night. Standing up he led her to the bed, his face belying the thoughts in his head. _Be gentle with her, she's fragile after being broken_ Seth told him. The tension embracing them filled the room heavily. Quietly, he sat down and pulled her into his lap, relishing in the touch of her bare skin. Gingerly she began to unbutton his shirt while his hands wandered down her bare thighs. The dress she had worn fell just above her knee and had small cap sleeves and a shade of blue the reflected her pale skin, but he wasn't interested in her dress. He wanted what was underneath it all. Clumsily, he felt for the zipper and pulled it down. Before he could tear the garment from her form she kissed him, in a gentle, tender way that threw the man. _I don't know how to reciprocate this_ he thought, desperately trying to mimic her soft caress. It was proving more and more difficult to predict her actions. Eagerly she pushed his shirt over his shoulders and pulled her arms from her dress, sliding it over her narrow pale hips. He pushed her down to the mattress and pulled off the dress before he climbed over her.

"Slow down, Seto," she begged, putting her hand to his chest cautiously. Struck with confusion over what was going wrong, he ran a hand through his chestnut hair and sighed. _Kiss her, softly like she kissed you_ Seth encouraged. Cautiously, he leaned down and embraced her lips with his as delicately as he could muster. Unable to conceal his arousal, he buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her flesh hungrily.

"Can you give me what I want?" he growled passionately in her ear, while his hands lightly traced her forearms. His skin burned with her touch.

"I want to," she squealed in a voice that was either pleasure or fear. He wanted to grab her chin and looked into her eyes and demand an answer, but he couldn't. Something told him it wasn't the right thing to do. Instead he pressed his bare chest against hers and held her close.

"You know by now. Can you give me what I want?" he repeated in a husk pant. She ran her hands over his biceps, holding them tightly.

"Yes." Seto moaned in approval, his breath hot against her neck. Burning with desire and need he rubbed against her, ghosting his fingers against her skin. She had become like a drug that he needed, some one he yearned for. Then she stripped the rest of his clothes, leaving him naked in the dim light. Turning down the lamp he resumed his ministrations, eager to indulge his physical needs. He needed it, he deserved it, after all he'd been through, everything he had put up with and faced. But it was different with her...it had changed. He no longer just wanted her for sex, for her body. Kaiba wanted her for more, for companionship, company and eventually, conversations. He wanted to share his emotions with her, but he knew that would open him up to being hurt, and he couldn't take being hurt again. He couldn't open up to her and then be rejected...that was a pain he had to avoid.

Selfishly, he took her, giving into the physical urges and sinful thoughts that had been plaguing himfor so long, and she had expected it. Some things just didn't change. He rolled over to his back and pulled the sheet up to his chest to cover his scars, patiently waiting for her to react or respond. She turned to him and smiled.

"That was rougher than I remember," Kisara remarked. Seto took a deep breath and looked over at her, staring into her eyes, searching for her pain.

"I didn't traumatize you did I?" he asked. She smiled faintly and shook her head. Gently, she kissed his cheek.

"No, it was lovely," she said with a smile. Awkwardly, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. She giggled happily, and kissed his cheek again. "I think you should make an announcement to the press correcting their errors," she suggested. Kaiba shrugged and considered it.

"Maybe," he added, closing his eyes, desperate for sleep. The obstacles didnt stop though, the young woman still had more to say.

"I know we don't talk about our relationship much, and that's fine, but what am I to you Seto?" she asked curiously. Sighing with irritation, the man formed his words carefully. Why did she have to bring this up now?

"I...I don't know. I don't have the need to label everything. Give me some time I'll find a word for it," he responded. She kissed his cheek again and wished him good night, curling up against his chest. Affection wasn't coming as naturally as he had hoped, and it made him clumsy and awkward which did nothing but irritate Kaiba. He craved to control what he could, but now he was in a place where he felt like control had been stripped away and he wasn't sure if he liked what it had become. On the other hand, it provided a challenge that he just couldn't turn down.

The next morning Kaiba Corp released the following statement to the press:

_I would like to correct the errors I saw recently in the Sun and Stargazer. I am not, nor have I ever been in a homosexual relationship with any man. For some time now I have been in the company of a heterosexual companion whose identity shall remain private. I ask that you stop these wild fantasies and give me the level of privacy you expect from your neighbors. I am, and always have been a private person, and my actions outside my company should be respected. I am incredibly angered by the utter lack of respect and decency I have been shown since my shooting so let me make some things clear. I sustained two gunshot wounds to the chest. I almost died, but recovered and have since resumed my normal activities. Everything else is none of your business. Maybe if you kept your nose out of gossip and didn't make up all your stories I would consider you credible journalists, but since you blatantly disregarded my wishes I can no longer respect you. I deserve respect and privacy, and demand that you give me those rights._

_ Seto Kaiba, Kaiba Corp President, CEO _

A/N: AhhhH! I got another chapter done in a day! And I'm going mad! Thank you thank you thank you for all your reviews and messages. I love corresponding with you all so very much. I've already got some thoughts a brewing for the next chapter.

Shout out to Jademy who downloaded a copy of my third book, Chernobyl Graveyard and inspired the tabloid headlines.

Devotionisstrong Keep reviewing.

JokerGotAway: Hope this update finds you in boredom. I'm glad you liked Black Rain, it's still a work in progress.

Mahado's story is slowly coming together. Message me for a sample.

We're getting close to the end here, and i'm trying to show some character progression while still retaining the character's main qualities. Kaiba is a bitch to write. Here's your romance scene. I suck at them, Once in a while I can pull something pretty awesome together but most of the time it's a bust or it's way too graphic. I restrained myself a bit here, and I think I fucked it all up. One reviewer called it a 'crapfest' which I guess is accurate, but there's so much worse out there. I'm trying, I've made vast improvements over my old stuff, and I desperately needed a break from writing novels, and fanfiction can be fun when you have awesome sauce reviewers like you. Keep it up. Three Reviews get the next chapter, since I know which three are going to be reviewing :) Let's see if we get another surprise reviewer.

Much love OXOXOX see you at the end of the next chapter!

P.S. Dishes still not done.


	20. Chapter 20

Broken Velvet 20

Kaiba no longer knew where he stood with Kisara, he was on unstable ground and it unnerved him immensely. On his desk sat an invitation to the annual charity ball for the Orphanage. In the past he'd taken random women but he knew this time would be different, and for him it was unsettling. Contemplating avoiding the event he realized that he had not attended a social gathering in almost a year and knew his presence would be expected. He sent Kisara and Mahado out to acquire formal attire with the company card and continued with his workday. The young man couldn't wait until the night was over. After scanning the duelist IQ list for Tactic Rivalry he closed up and left early to prepare for the ball.

He didn't need long to dress and only allowed himself an hour to get ready, adding an extra half hour because he had a companion. Throwing open the door he was left speechless. Kisara stood in front of the mirror dressed in a emerald evening gown. Backless and strapless it hugged her body to her thigh, where it flared out falling just below her knees. Her hair was swept up and pinned elegantly, with a few wisps that framed her face. Coming to his senses he ignored her and went to his closet, sifting through his designer clothes for his black tuxedo. He changed and grabbed a green silk pocket scarf that matched her dress. Seto didn't know what to say to her, how to react so he avoided saying anything, compliments were never his thing unless they were double sided. Strolling to his jewelry box he sifted through it, deciding on what pieces he want to wear. Kisara dropped a jewelry box in front of him which he stared it with confusion.

"What is this?" he asked, voice edged with disdain. What was she up to? There had to be an ulterior motive for this.

"I saw it at the Jewelry store and thought of you," she explained, an answer that didn't lessen his bewilderment. Cautiously, he opened it. Inside was a ring, set in white gold, emblazoned with opal dragons on the band, and a star cut sapphire inlaid in the center. He was still baffled and attempted to clarify.

"Why would you buy this?" he inquired roughly, staring at the unique ring. Kisara wrinkled her forehead in confusion.

"I thought you would like it. Do you?" He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on his finger.

"Yes, I like it, but that doesn't answer my question. Why would you buy this for me?" he interrogated further.

"Well I charged it to the corporate card so, _technically _you paid for it. I just picked it out," she stated, hoping it would offset his awkward behavior. It still didn't answer his question but Kaiba thought she was evading him, she had to have a deeper motive. _Say Thank you' you fool! _Seth instructed. Fumbling over his thoughts he looked up, his emotions hidden behind his eyes.

"Thank you," he muttered, the words felt strange in his mouth. Unable to think of more, proper words to say he dropped his gaze and bit his lip in frustration. Kisara embraced his cheek with her hand and kissed the other.

"You're welcome," she chirped before pulling a matching green shawl over her shoulders. _'I don't deserve this' _Seto thought as he stared, enchanted at the piece of jewelry adorning his hand. What had been a genuine act of kindness was misconstrued by the man, who thought she had an ulterior motive behind her action. Refusing to linger on his thoughts he moved forward.

"Let's go," he instructed, closing his jewelry box and tucking in his pocket scarf. Wanting to lift the mood Kisara mused in thought.

"Did you ever think of taking Mahado to mess with the media journalists?" she asked, slipping on her heels. Even with three inch heels on he still towered over her, her forehead coming up to his chin. He chuckled at her musing.

"I did, but he's taking the curator from the museum, Ishizu," he remarked, leading the woman to the door. She giggled, stepping awkwardly in her heels. She began to regret not practicing walking in them prior to the ball.

"They make a cute couple," she added taking his hand while they walked through the main hall. Descending the staircase was a feat for Kisara, who clung to the railing and tightly held Seto's hand, while he watched in amusement. Waiting for her to trip or roll her ankle he prepared to catch her if she fell. _That's always romantic, right? It happens in those cheesy movies _he reasoned. Making it to the landing with an accomplished smile, he couldn't help but laugh at her.

"You are going to be suffering by the end of the night," he warned, watching her trot towards the waiting limo. She was a quick learner, and every few steps were less awkward and a bit more graceful. "How do you expect to dance in those?" he asked, striding towards the front door, opening it, and setting the alarm. She blushed and walked behind him, stepping outside. He shut the door behind them.

"I don't know how to dance," she confessed with embarrassment. The man stopped in his tracks and sighed with frustration. He should have known, and prepared for this. While conjuring a response he opened the limo door and led Kisara inside, following suit. She sat on the leather seat across from her, her pale, smooth ankles crossed. Kaiba leaned back and stretched his lithe legs.

"Let's hope you can learn to dance as quickly as you learned to walk in heels," he smirked. The young woman nodded and adjusted her shawl. She looked so different, so tantalizing, something about her was cycling through his veins and he had no idea what the hell it was. He hated all the foreign feelings that arose when she was around, but he couldn't bring himself to despise the source and he was unable to explain it. It had sparked a burning inside his soul that challenged him in ways he'd never expected. Journalists lined the sidewalk before they arrived, Seto growled in annoyance and put on his best act of Chivalry, helping Kisara from the car and taking her arm as the walked inside. Free of the flashing cameras and screaming questions a blanket of soft classical music surrounded them. Elegant and decadent the place was beautifully decorated in shades of gold and red. Other couples conversed with drinks while some sat in the auction. The adjoining room in the back was where the dance would be held, beginning after the auction ended. Kaiba grabbed two glasses of champagne from the waiter and held one out to Kisara. She took the crystal flute and eagerly took a drink to contain her nerves. Her companion surveyed the event, tenderly taking her arm and leading her away from the crowd to a small room adjoining the main hall that held only one other couple, who were lost in their own conversation.

Sitting down in a red settee he pulled out his checkbook, making out a check to the charity and carefully ripping it out of leather bound stack. He folded the check and put it in his breast pocket before shoving his checkbook in another. Gracelessly standing in the corner, nursing her drink the young woman sighed and played with a lock of her hair. Mahado walked in, hand in hand with Ishizu.

"Good Evening you two, I figured I'd find you tucked away in the corner," he greeted, taking his hand away and crossing his arms over his chest. Kaiba scoffed.

"You caught me, now what?" he played, crossing his ankle over his knee. He was trying to be social and normal and it didn't come easy.

"The dance is starting," Ishizu stated. She was dressed in a beautiful cap sleeve A line gown. The color was a soft, comforting brown that complimented her tan skin. An intricate gold necklace hung from her thin neck.

"We'll see you on the dance floor," Mahado commented. The couple strode off, hand in hand. Kisara wished her relationship was like theirs, but she knew that in public, it was impossible, not with Kaiba's personality anyway. Eager to learn how to dance and have to intimacy most couples had she spoke up.

"Should we go dance?" she asked, before draining the rest of her champagne. A light blush flooded her cheeks, it was a good warm feeling.

"I"m going to have another drink while you watch the couples dance, watch how they move and mimic that," he instructed. Standing up he strode out of the room to the bar while Kisara took another glass of champagne from the maitre'd. Meeting up in the ballroom the woman watched the other dancers intensely. Brandy in one hand, the other in his pocket Kaiba watched the crowd before he turned his head to check on his companion. Her cheeks were a rosy pink and she seemed focused on the dance floor while they stood in the wings. Ambitiously, she set down her drink and took his hand, leading him onto the dance floor. She put her hand on his shoulder and reached out for his hand, taking it clumsily. He was impressed by how well she was able to keep up with his steps, even if she did step on his foot several times. Keeping his hand firmly pressed against her waist gave him a feeling of intimacy he hadn't experienced before. They were so close to each other, touching with their steps. Her hand was so soft in his, so small and delicate, it rested against his firm callused palm.

The end of the night couldn't come soon enough. Kisara's feet ached and were blistered and Seto had to identify strange feelings that were brought out. Unnerved by what he felt kept him quiet and stoic. His companion didn't question, instead she took off her shoes and laid back in her limo seat. She knew she had awoken something in him and emotions were a taboo subject that wasn't talked about, making her walk on eggshells around him.

The next morning put Kaiba in a wretched mood. His leg ached from the dancing and his chest throbbed with residual pain. He was forced to dig out left over painkillers in order to start the day, which kept getting worse. The Green Mile attacked him with questions about Kisara, and on top of that he had to fire 4 employees who were caught trying to steal a copier. Then there were the messages from Duelists who fell short of the IQ requirement for Tactic Rivalry, filled with half hearted threats and child like name calling. Next was another ten hours of making sense of payroll and writing up schematic and designs for a new duel disk. By the end of the day he was more than irritated and didn't want to face the woman at home. He only hoped that she had fallen asleep.

She hadn't, and when he walked in, stared up at him with glossed over eyes.

"Seto...I...I had a really bad nightmare," she confessed softly. He scoffed at her, and threw his jacket over a chair. This was not what he wanted to deal with.

"You're not the only one with problems Kisara, we all have faced tragic circumstances. Deal with it, Do you have any idea the hell I went through before you arrived?" he yelled. Kicking his shoes under the dresser he ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. The tension in the room was about to break.

"No, because you won't tell me," she responded in a vain attempt to be firm. The man snickered rudely, removing his jewelry and tossing it on the dresser carelessly.

"And why should I tell you? Do you think you can take away my pain, make it all better and the sins again committed against me will be forgiven?" he sneered with irritation and anger. Desperate to show her strength she changed her pose and pushed back her shoulders.

"No, it's because you know mine," she retorted. Pacing the room he scoffed and looked at her, before leaning onto one of the black chairs that replaced the settee.

"So you want to even the playing field? You better watch you boundaries, you're treading a fine line," he warned. Kisara frowned and took a deep breath. She had to show that she was confident, she couldn't just let him keep on.

"The playing field will never be even, Seto, you control everything and that's something that I can never take from you. You saved me, you give me everything I have and that controls many aspects of my life. Without your guidance I have nothing," she divulged, her heart aching.

"That's pitiful," he spat. Rolling up the sleeves of his black turtleneck he exposed the tattoo of the White Dragon and turned his arm out. "You see this? This is from defending myself against a willow switch," he continued, displaying a thin long scar the ran along the inside of his forearm. Next he pulled up his shirt, exposing two long scars that ran along his right side. "These are also from the willow switch," he growled with distaste. Approaching the young woman he leaned in close, and pressed his hands against her thighs. His face just inches from hers, his eyes intense with fury. "And let's not get started on my back, the scars you've never seen because I deliberately kept the lights down low when we fucked. While you may have felt them, I purposefully kept you distracted so you wouldn't notice. I've dealt with the scars of my past and there is no reason to ever speak of them. You must learn this too," he purred in a low, devious voice. Stunned and barely able to react, the woman grabbed his shirt, keeping him from storming off. Embracing her enigma personality, and like an oracle she spouted profound words he had heard once before.

"Pain is a test of our strength, a sign of how much we can endure. It shows us that we are alive, that we are mortal. Pain is a necessary part of life, we all experience it. It comes in many forms. Physical pain is the easiest to endure because it's usually fleeting and can be numbed with herbs. It's the intensity of physical pain that shows us our mortality and reveals our strength and endurance. Pain can be dull and aching, shooting, throbbing, or sharp and intense. The more pain a person endures the stronger and more resilient they become, and their outlook on life changes dramatically. Emotional pain is draining and one of the hardest to deal with. It chews on your nerve endings and exhausts your mind. It creates a dull kind of physical pain that's hard to escape from. The pain can drown us in sorrow and depression. This kind of pain can make us feel dead.

Psychological pain affects our soul and our overall well being. Psychological pain often manifests in either physical or emotional pain. Psychologically we can address this path's origin. It is rare and often requires professional aide. It is a pain most people will never know and is one of the most damaging." Her words forced the man to his knees, burying his face in her chest. Those words, those same words he heard once before in his nightmarish hell after Mokuba died. Kisara was exposing his soul, an incredibly painful process for Seto. With his world spinning he clung to her, desperate to feel reality. Like lightning his body was overcome with a distinct, foreign pain he couldn't identify. Shaking in the arms of his companion he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore her words, but they were deafening and poignant. Those words exposed a part of him he never wanted to see, a deep, substantial set of emotions he was unwilling to face, a challenge he was hesitant to accept.

That's how the night ended, with Kaiba overwhelmed in the arms of his caring lover. It was a night neither of them would forget, even though they wanted to. This isn't what he wanted, and adapting to foreign concepts was never his strong suit. The young man would have to overcome the pain he had stored away, refusing to accept in order to move forward. No longer alone he would have to learn the finer point of relationships and emotions, something that made him uneasy. Would he ever be able to adapt to the young woman he rescued from the gutter? The woman he was destined to love after forcing fate's hand in retrial? Seth wanted this more than anything but Seto refused to accept that. Would he lay down his pride and confess his true feelings? The ones that had developed over time? It was not an easy feat, but nothing ever came easy for Kaiba.

A/N: I LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys so much. JokerGotAway, DevotionisStrong and Jademy my ever faithful reviewers! Please keep it up. Sorry I didn't get this chapter done last night, but I did my damn dishes and roll cigarettes.

I'm getting lost with this story again. I'm getting close to wrapping it up, but I need some filler ideas.

NecronLord and KraziReader what happened to you two? You don't review anymore. Are you disliking certain aspects of this?

Also had my finals. OMG, it was terrible. But yay! Anyway, thank you guys so much for your support it means soo soo much. I got kind of tipsy with this chapter so I'm sorry if I missed some spelling/grammar mistakes. Keep up the love and I'll keep writing.

Anger and Satin will be an M rated story. I know I'm going to regret writing it, but expect it to be quite AU and OOC. I'm terrible with this shit, as you can tell. Kaiba is somewhat vane, and flutters in and out of character. Ugh.

See you at the end of the next chapter and keep reviewing (3,000 people have viewed this story and each chapter has 70 views so people are reading this and I hope you guys are enjoying it.)

XOXOX


	21. Chapter 21

Broken Velvet 21

Seto hadn't visited his vault at the bank in years. It sat, gathering dust, forgotten. Taking his key he unlocked the small steel door and pulled out the metal fire box that sat there. It was one of the few things he inherited from his parents, stored away until he was 18 and of legal age. Then he looked through the box that held his mother's jewelry and put it away. Now, he was back and intent on one thing. Reaching inside he pulled out an olive green velvet box. Inside laid a white gold bracelet set with sapphires and blue diamonds. Holding it in his hands triggered the only memory he had of her wearing it, Standing in the doorway, talking on the phone dressed in a blue dress. Vacantly, he put the piece back into the box and slipped it into his pocket before returning the box to his vault and locking it.

His heart raced as fast as his thoughts. Seto was planning to do something he never done before, something he felt he needed to do to progress what he had with Kisara without revealing deep emotions. Actions spoke louder than words right? And to him, actions were much easier than the formulation of speech. He couldn't be a coward and back out of his plan, that would be failure and it was unacceptable. Contemplating how to give it to her did nothing but frustrate the poor man. He was cracked, and broken but refused to accept it. After rebuilding his heart he believed that he could rebuild the rest of himself.

His nerves spread into the atmosphere, hanging in the tension. Approaching the woman who sat at the coffee table, he fumbled the box in his hands, presenting it to her wordlessly.

"What's this?" she asked curiously. Awkwardly, he formed his words.

"It belonged to my mother...just take it," he stumbled. He walked away, heading towards the dresser to end the ordeal. She gasped as she opened the box, eyes welling with tears of gratitude. Kaiba closed his eyes with dread. He knew this was going to lead to one of those 'feeling' conversations.

"Seto...It's...Thank you," she breathed in a whisper. He remained silent, not reacting to her words, unsure of what to do. Silence embraced them. "Behind that cold indifference is a beautiful generous man," Kisara added. He couldn't help but scoff at her word, finally turning around to face her.

"Obviously you don't know me very well," he snickered. Huffing in frustration the young woman crossed her arms defensively.

"Who knows you better than I do?"she asked. Musing in thoughts he realized that there was no one that he could name. Not even Isono knew him that well, and she had known him intimately, another thing that less than a dozen had accomplished.

"That doesn't mean you know me well," he retorted, the only thing he could think of that didn't levy the argument in her favor. She saw his strategy and called him on it.

"That's not what I asked," she stated simply. Now he was stuck with no way out. Determined not to give in to her question he decided that he had to play hard ball.

"Mokuba." Then he strode out of the room, desperate to leave the awkward, uncomfortable situation behind him. Everything was going to hell.

Fire crackled warmly. Ishizu laid in Mahado's arms, sprawled across the small tan loveseat in his room. The fireplace gave off a warm, calming glow. Silence and serenity and embraced them. Nothing was said, nothing needed to be. They were overwhelmed in the moment, caught in their embrace and burdened with flashes of a homologous past. He had returned, like her vision predicted, but not in the way that she saw. Clarity was a fleeting fancy that toyed with their emotions. Her head rested against his chest, listening to the soothing rhythm of his heart. Savoring the dull but sweet serenity of the moment, Ishizu deftly pulled a burgundy afghan over them, trapping their warmth. Mahado's hands cradled her back, his chin rested on top of her head while he held her against him, reliving the feelings he had so long ago.

He had been perusing books in the library when Kisara walked in. His heart immediately dropped and his defenses went up. She stood at the end of the shelf, bewildered.

"Seto..." He pulled a book off the shelf and pretended to read it.

"What?" he snapped with annoyance. It was one of those times where he wanted to be alone.

"Why are you being so vane?" she asked. He was impressed by the use of her vocabulary, and felt obligated to respond.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he lied with ease. Avoidance wasn't always the best solution, but he hadn't thought of a proper one yet.

"You've changed and I've glimpsed inside your soul and seen the real you, the one you hide behind your cold, arrogant facade," she stated firmly, resting her hand on one of the thick oak shelves. Stunned and angered by her truthful words, he furrowed his brow and closed the book, returning it to the shelf dutifully.

"That's quite the bold statement from someone who's known me less than a year," he retorted with a hint of arrogance.

"We've both changed," she corrected, changing her stance protectively. He scoffed.

"That's life Kisara, people change constantly, change is a constant in everyone's life, so is pain and difficulties," he quipped. She stood stoic, stuck in her place.

"That's not what I'm talking about Kaiba," she spat. Her expression softened and she looked at him with dull, curious eyes. "Do you love me?" she asked. He grit his teeth and shook his head.

"No." It was a simple, curt and concise answer. She bit her lip and tried to hold back tears. Obviously, he didn't give her the answer she was looking for. "But I have...feelings," he added. A piercing silence dropped like a bomb, his words, not being what she expected, threw her. He admitted to something she'd never dreamed of. Feelings and love were not synonymous, but they were equal. Finally, she nodded.

"Feelings are something, I won't prod any longer," she uttered. Kaiba breathed a sigh of relief and went back to perusing his books. Somewhat in a daze Kisara wandered out of the room and into the kitchen, pulling out the tub of ice cream.

In the library he cursed himself for admitting his feelings, it was a sign of weakness. How could he let anyone know how he felt?

_It's not a sign of weakness! It's a sign of intimacy you fool! Don't let your pride get in the way of how you feel. This isn't about pride! _Seth told him, the words echoing in his head. Shaking his head to clear the voice Seto grabbed a random book, flopping down on the couch to read. He was getting deeper into something he knew nothing about, drowning in uncertainty.

A/N I'm sorry for the late and short chapter. All sorts of crap happened, my water pump on my truck seized at the same time the thermostat stuck and congratulations- my truck is out of service. Ugh. After that experience, I was only able to write around 300 words before getting frustrated and still frustrated and that kind of blocks my writing, and I'd rather give you a short, well thought out chapter, than a long one full of crap.

MUCH MUCH MUCH Love to my reviewers

Dev- You rock so much

Jademy- SOULMATE- Much love! Jademy has also been helping give ideas and plot bunnies to this story and Anger and Satin so every cheer Huzzah!

JokerGotAway! You rock so much! Keep on reviewing!

Keep up the awesomeness and I'll keep on writing

STORY ENDS AT 30 CHAPTERS.

See you at the end of the next chapter!


	22. Chapter 22

Broken Velvet 22

Death came for him a thousand times that night in his dreams. Tossing and turning, violently lashing out, he finally smacked Kisara in the face, waking her up. Looking beside her, she saw Seto flitting around, sweating, trapped in recurring nightmares. Gently, she tried to wake him spooking him into falling out of the bed with a thud. Peeking over the side of the mattress, she checked if he was alright. He sat up with a start and checked in his surroundings.

"You were thrashing around in your sleep again," she said in a tired voice. Slightly disoriented, Kaiba climbed back into bed. Caringly, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "Cuddle with me and you won't have nightmares," she predicted, gently stroking his thick, brown hair. Kaiba scoffed, then yawned.

"I find that hard to believe," he remarked snidely. Playfully, she ruffled his hair. "You just want to cuddle, all you women do," he grumbled. She giggled and rested her cheek on top of his head.

"Do you have a better idea?" she inquired, stroking his back. He shook his head and sighed.

"Go to sleep," he instructed. He shifted around, resting his head against the swell of her chest, and wrapping one arm around her hips. The sky was still dark, the sun gone, only moonlight streamed through the windows, casting everything in a blue glow.

Falling into a calm sleep only proved Kisara's predictions right. Deep in a still, serene dream he rested against, breathing deeply. She fell into dreams with him, cradling his form against her as she slipped from dream to dream. Listlessly, they floated in their own worlds, yet to collide. Intimate and quiet they rested, Kisara awoke at dawn and soothingly stroked Seto's hair while he begin to surface from the confines of sleep. Waking to her actions confused him as he searched for her motive. Unwilling to start the day with worry, he kissed her cheek and jumped out of bed, trying to overcome his feelings. His dreams had been pleasant, but he felt like they were leading him somewhere, a path that was blatantly in front of him.

The day at the office started like any other, but midway through the afternoon Mahado stopped in and returned his key. Standing before him dressed in a black suit and a stoic face, somehow their worlds had seamlessly collided and both men had been undone and required healing.

"I'm moving out Kaiba. I've decided to reside with Ishizu. I appreciate all you've done for me," he stated. He placed the silver key on the mahogany desk with reverence. Both men stared at it for a short moment. Kaiba didn't want to admit that he wanted Mahado to stay.

"Why?" he simply asked. Mahado chuckled and shuffled his feet. His relationship was difficult to explain, but yet it was so akin to Seto's relationship with Kisara.

"She's my high priestess, Seto, I knew that when I saw her and _she _knew that. Our relationship has, like yours, transcended time and I can't waste this opportunity to have a life with her," he divulged. His words had a profound effect on the business man. Certain words in particular _like yours_. Mahado knew the depth and curiosities of his relationship, the oddities and obstacles. He understood how strange and peculiar things were and faced the same challenges.

"Like mine? Sometimes I forget that there was a time that she and I were different and we saved each other. Now...I just don't know. This isn't my wheelhouse. I haven't done this before but she's been so tolerant and responsive I just can't find flaws with what were doing, and I don't know how to progress. She's already practically living in my room, and sleeping in my bed. What's next?" That was not where he expected to go with his words, but they just fell out. Twisting his face into embarrassed frustration he folded his hands in front of him and sighed.

"You DO know what you're doing even if you don't realize it. You're making progress. Don't rush anything. If it feels stagnant, perhaps you should have a vacation or a few days away," he suggested. Kaiba immediately wanted to change the topic, even though he deeply cherished Mahado's advice.

"Don't kill yourself this time," he remarked, falling back into his colder attitude. The magician smiled at him and stepped forward, extending his hand and his left foot respectfully. Kaiba stood up and shook his hand firmly.

"Be her protector," he stated simply. The words rang through his head, repeating poignantly. He would never know the impact those three words would have on the businessman. Rendered speechless Seto withdrew his hand and sat down again fumbling for words. His once shattered heart had been rebuilt tenderly by Kisara, but suddenly, one of those pieces fell out of place breaking and cracking what she had done.

"I couldn't protect Mokuba, how can I protect her?" he questioned, admitting his weakness to the only man he felt comfortable with.

"Listen to your heart, follow your soul, and use that incredible mind of yours, don't get clouded by petty things," he advised. Once again Seto needed to change the topic. No more feelings, emotions or weaknesses. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"I hope you're happy and the personality differences you have don't interfere with your relationship," he uttered, a double edged compliment. Mahado shuffled his feet and put his hands behind his back, his caramel hair fell midway down his chest.

"And to you the same. I am grateful for all your help and everything you've done. You're a kinder man than you initially let on," he shot back with his own double edged compliment. He knew it would make Kaiba scoff and waited for the next loaded remark. With a devious smile he cooked up another one.

"Just remember, you're the man. Don't let her wear the pants no matter how feminine you want to look." Mahado couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"You must have to beat the women off with a stick, you're so suave." They were both chuckling. Kaiba grinned devilishly and unleashed his most loaded comment yet.

"Not when I'm out with you. You're mistaken for my companion and no one's going to mess with a big girl like you," he scoffed playfully. Mahado grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. Roasting each other was their idea of fun. Most men drank beer and watched football, but these two only ragged on each other playfully.

"I need to go. I have a dinner date with another woman and I need to refresh my makeup," he teased. Seto nodded with a smile and went back to his desk work while the young man departed. Not much got done. He couldn't help but think about the words that the young man had told him. _Be her protector_ they were bothering him more than he would ever admit. Ending the day early he hopped into his SUV and drove around, thinking. There had to be a link between protection, love, and attraction, but Kaiba just couldn't connect them. Which feeling was which? Why was it so hard for him to figure out? Surely most people knew what they felt, why was he so different? Had Gozaburo's training really had that deep of an effect on his emotional state.

Coming up with several scenarios he toyed with them in his head as he drove before he decided on which one he was going to try. If it didn't work, there was always the vacation thing that Mahado had also suggested.

The sun had gone down, and the velvet sky reflected bright diamond like stars and a full, white moon that shined with a delightful glow. The wind ghosted through the trees lightly, shaking the branches, and Seto's heart raced as he prepared to venture deeper into unknown territory.

Cradling the doorknob in his hands he threw open the door and abandoned his briefcase near the armoire. Kisara was curled up on the purple wingback chair with a book. Instantly, she looked up at him with bright, loving eyes. His white coat was thrown carelessly to the floor as he approached, taking her into a passionate kiss that he had never given her before. Surprised and elated she stood up and broke to kiss to pull his shirt over his head. Migrating towards the bed she unbuttoned her silk shirt and tossed it aside. Seto grabbed her and bestowed another indulgent kiss as he lowered her to the bed. Learning new things was never easy, but he was determined.

A/N I am sooo very sorry this chapter took longer than a week. I mentioned last week that my van had broken down and the day after the last chapter we found out I needed a replacement vehicle. So I spent the whole week looking at trucks which was aggravating and stressful as all get out. People lie so much it's disgusting. I finally found a truck yesterday, a 91 Ford pick up and now that everything is kosher I can finally write again. I tried writing during the week and it just came out crap. It was really, really bad and it just didn't jive. I know you guys have been waiting, and the 3 review rule is still in place, cause i'm a dick.

You know some authors only update once a month. I'm good to you guys sometimes :) Thank you thank thank you to my reviews Dev and soulmate Jademy. Here's the chapter you two have been waiting for. I think everyone else is lurking and not reviewing, Looking at you Necron Lord. :P

Anyway. Sorry about the wait. Also exciting stuff next chapter. I'm thinking of picking up right where I left off. WHO WANTS SMUT? Say it in your review! See you at the end of the next chapter! 7 chapters left till the end! (approx 2 weeks)


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